Love on High Seas
by Station Square Guardian
Summary: Sequel to Love Conquers All - London and Maddie, as well as the rest of the gang climb aboard the S.S. Tipton for a cruise filled with adventure. From New York to Amsterdam... from Lisbon to Athens... from Tokyo to Buenos Aires, join our favourite heiress and candy-counter girl and their friends, as they sail on a cruise around the world, where anytthing can and will happen!
1. Blondie's Surprise

**Hey there, I'm already back! As you might know already, this is the sequel to my story "Love Conquers All". Most of you already have a good idea of what this story is about, but for those who don't, I'll explain it. This story will follow the adventures of Zack, Cody and the rest of the gang, and of course, London and Maddie, as they embark on a cruise around the world… I know, I know, you're probably saying, this looks just like "The Suite Life on Deck", well I'll admit it, I had the idea for this sequel while thinking about how I would have written it. Since this is a cruise, the gang will visit various cities around the world, where they will live some of the craziest and most wonderful adventures ever. **

**Just so you guys know, I don't plan to use Bailey on this story, because I couldn't find a way to put her in it, without ruining the chemistry between the characters. Still, there will be new OC's of mine and some special guests who will guide you and the Tipton gang on this wild adventure. So, get your tickets climb aboard and I hope you all like it… and now, on with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Blondie's Surprise**

Summer… probably the most beautiful season of them all, especially to students, who anxiously wait for it to begin, and wish it never ends. And why is that? Because summer is the Promised Land to those who labor and study for almost a whole year. It's the time of the year where one can do as he pleases, without having to think about tests, exams, homework or any other stuff regarding studying or work. It's time to go to the beach, to spend time with the family and friends, to go to barbecues, and do all kinds of cool stuff.

And that was exactly what Zack and Cody Martin, the Martin twins who lived in the Boston Tipton Hotel and were known by the entire hotel's staff, as being two troublemakers who managed to get into the most amazing and crazy situations one could ever think. On that hot July afternoon, they were just coming back from their date with Barbara and Max, complaining about how hot it was. The girls had wanted to go to the movies, so they both took them to see the latest summer blockbuster movie. Zack as always had loved it, but Cody had decidedly thought that it could have been way better… even when it came to cinematographic tastes the twins were almost complete opposites.

"Awesome movie! Loved the explosions and of course, those special effects were awesome!" –Zack exclaimed, as they entered through the hotel's rotating door.

"I on the other hand thought that the movie's plot was overrated, and was in need of a major rewriting." –Cody told his brother, obviously disagreeing with him.

"Who cares about the plot, when you have bodacious explosions and massive special effects to cover it up?" –Zack asked Cody, obviously taunting him.

"I care about it." .Cody told him.

"Well, I don't. Why do you think I rather watch a movie where you don't have to think about what's right and what's wrong about it? It's so much funnier than the movies that we have to watch in school, regarding some useless book."

"Books aren't useless, and you should know that."

"You're right; they can be used for something… I can use a pile of them to build myself a place to sit." –Zack sarcastically joked about it.

"Why do I even bother to talk to you?!" –Cody sighed, furious about his brother not taking things seriously like he did.

While Zack and Cody did this, back in New Orleans, Mark Stevenson, son of the famous American writer, Stephen Stevenson, was having a blast with his sweet and loving girlfriend, Anastasia Fontaine.

They had surprised each other when they found out that they were going to be on the same town. Mark was accompanying his father in his annual digression through the country to advertise one of his latest novels, while Anastasia had travelled with her mom back to New Orleans to visit her father's grave. Since they knew that they would probably see each other again until the end of August, they were both enjoying each other's company.

On that day Mark was wearing a navy-blue t-shirt with the drawing of the vampire bar _Fangtasia_ from the series _True Blood_, a pair of black shorts and red tennis shoes. As for Anastasia, curiously she had also decided to wear something would match his vampire disposition, so she was wearing a dark-crimson tank top with a pair of vampire fangs stamped on it, a black mini-skirt and dark-crimson army boots. She had her hair done in a low ponytail and was wearing very little make-up. To Mark's eyes, even if she wanted to, she could not look better than she did. Her French ancestry gave her that glamour that only the French women had, something Mark loved in her.

Being a native of New Orleans, Anastasia took him to visit the city's most important landmark like the Pontchartrain Hotel on St. Charles Avenue, as well as the wide variety of 19th century mansions that are located on that part of town, without forgetting Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, famous for its nightlife. Right then, they were just passing by Jackson Square, where they took a seat on a nearby park bench.

"Okay, okay, let's see if you know this one… what would you get if you crossed a comedian and an Edgar Allan Poe story?" –Anastasia asked Mark. She just loved to tell that of jokes. Most of them were quite cheesy, but she managed to make them sound funny when she told them.

"Hmmm... tough one… I don't know… what?" –Mark asked her, curious to know the answer.

"Simple, The Wit and the Pendulum." –she answered, laughing about it. –"I know, I know, this one was cheesy…" –Anastasia kept giggling about it.

"Well then, it's my turn now… did you really think you're the only one who knows jokes about books? Then, riddle me this one… what is a flea's favourite book?"

"What is a flea's favourite book?! Don't know…"

"The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy!" –Mark laughed about it. –"Come on, this one was easy. Everyone knows it."

"Everyone, except me, you big meanie!" –Anastasia stated, as she playfully punched him on the ribs. –"For that, I'm going to give you another one, and you better know it, or else I'm going to tickle you so hard that you'll beg for mercy."

"Bring it on!" –Mark told her accepting the challenge.

"What did they call Tom Sawyer's friend after he lost a lot of weight?"

"What did they call… that's easy, Huckleberry Thin!" –he answered, as he began to laugh really hard, having got it right. –And you know what the penalty is…" –he told her with a naughty voice.

"Don't! Mark Stevenson, don't you dare!" –she scolded him playfully.

"Tickle, tickle, tickle, hahahahaha…" –he exclaimed, as he began to tickle Anastasia all over her body. –"You should know by now that you'll never be able to beat me in my own game!"

"Stop it!... (laugh)… Stop that!... (laugh)… I give up, I give up!" –Anastasia screamed, as she begged Mark to stop tickling her. When he finally stopped, she was breathing really hard, trying to regain her breath. A few tears were rolling down her face; she always hated when she laughed so hard that she ended up shedding a few tears. –"You're so mean… don't you know you shouldn't tickle a lady!

"Is there a lady here? If it is, I don't see her…" –he teased her.

"Why you little!" –she punched him on the shoulder. –"Why do I even put up with you?" –she asked him, giggling.

"Because you love me, that's why." –Mark answered her, as he planted a kiss on her lips.

"You're so strange and so crazy…" – she told him.

"I know I am, but what about you? You have to be as strange and crazy as I am to love someone as me." –he joked about it.

"If you weren't so cute and handsome, I would dump you right now!" –she teased him about.

After that little moment they had, the two just got up and continued their walk. On that moment, both of them could not be happier; and even though they knew they would not see each other for at least another month and a half, they tried not to think about it, and just enjoyed the present.

o0o

Meanwhile, in Yellowstone, the Fitzpatricks were happily enjoying their time camping on one of the most beautiful national parks in the United States. Located on the state of Wyoming, extending itself to the states of Idaho and Montana, founded in 1872, it was famous for its incredible landscapes, amazing fauna and flora, with some of the most beautiful animals and flowers in the world, and of course of its geysers, especially the biggest one of them all, the Old Faithful, known as the most predictable geographical feature on Earth erupting almost every 91minutes, discovered in 1870 during the Washburn-Langford-Doane expedition. It had been this geographical landmark that the Fitzpatricks travelled thousands and thousands of miles to see, while camping.

The view of the enormous geyser was amazing, but for Maddie, not all the wonders of nature and wild life combined were as pretty and as exciting as the one wonder she considered to be the most perfect ever created… her best-friend/girlfriend London Tipton, heiress of the Tipton empire. While the rest of her family was having fun, Maddie sulked, spending most of her time, thinking about the Asian-beauty and on what she was probably doing. When her mom called her, she had to call her name three times, because her head was clearly in the clouds.

"Maddie! Maddie! Sweetie, get here so I can take a photo of you with your brother and sister." –Miranda exclaimed to her, signaling Maddie to come faster.

Miranda wanted to get a photo of Maddie, Liam and Genevieve together, with the Old Faithful when this one exploded, and it was nearly time for the next explosion. She told them how she wanted them in the photo. So following their mother's instructions, every last one of the Fitzpatrick kids did as they were told to. Still, Maddie was not the only who was thinking about the person she loved the most in the world. Genevieve was also thinking about her boyfriend, whom she had left in Boston. It did not matter just how many times they fought over the most trivial of things, and that they were always ending up their relationship, just to get back a few days later, their love was true, and Gennie really missed him, just as Maddie missed London.

After the photo was taken, they all went back doing what they had previously been doing. Their dog, Scampy, who was as happy as any dog could be, decided that he needed a well-deserved rest, so, he approached Maddie, who immediately saw him. Grabbing him, and placing him on her lap, she began to pet him behind the ears. Scampy barked happily, as his mistress kept petting him. This made Maddie smile, but only for a second.

Seeing Maddie so absent minded, Miranda approached her and asked her what was going on.

"Madeline, is something wrong, sweetie?" –she asked, as she sat on the grass, right next to Maddie. –"You don't look like you're enjoying yourself."

"Oh, it's nothing mom, I'm just tired." –Maddie lied to her, trying to make her not to worry about it, as she petted Scampy.

"Just tired, huh? You must be tired alright, tired of not being able to be with London, am I right?" –she asked Maddie, always smiling. Ever since she accepted the girls' relationship, Miranda had become much closer to her younger daughter.

"How did you guess?" –Maddie asked her, sighing.

"Well, you have been looking at the clouds most of the day with that look you only have when you miss someone, plus, your sister told me that last night you were speaking London's name in your sleep." –she chuckled, placing her hand on Maddie's shoulder. –"Do you miss her?"

"More than anyone can possibly imagine, mom. I mean, I talk to her almost every day by the phone, but it's not the same… it never is. I would gladly give one of my pinky toes just to see her right now." –she sighed with a low voice.

"Oh, come on, Maddie, I know how hard this is for you, but you need to remember that sometimes in life, we must endure regardless of how hard things get. Look at Our Good Jesus Christ… when things got too rough, did he ever give up?"

"Mom, you're not helping…" –Maddie told her, even though she knew Miranda was trying to cheer her up a little. –"… I guess I'll just have to accept the fact that I'll only see London when we get back home, and until then, I'll keep talking with her through the phone… _Still, she could just get in a helicopter and come visit me_." –Maddie thought the last part, as Scampy barked, bring her back to reality.

"Where is she anyway?"

"She's in Switzerland… in Zurich to be more precise. She's visiting her mother." –Maddie answered. –"She told me she wanted to spend some time with her, and get to know her better."

"I see. Well, I bet she's having a good time. You know, at first I thought her mother was probably the worst mother there is, but once you get to know her better, you see that she's a terrific woman, and a very good mother. –Miranda told her daughter. For Maddie herself it was still hard to believe that her own mother was saying that from London's mom, who she once considered to be the worst mother in the world, for never caring about her own daughter. –"Anyway, I'll leave you with your thoughts. I've to go and check if your father needs something. But remember, if you need anything, you know where you can find me." –Miranda told her, as she walked away, heading in her husband's direction, leaving Maddie to pet Scampy.

"_Oh, London… I miss you so much, Princess…_" –Maddie thought to herself.

Letting Scampy go, who quickly started to yap, as he chased Liam, Maddie decided to lie back on the grass, feeling the warm Sun on her face. The warmness of the majestic Sun made her remember about London's warm body. Closing her eyes, she imagined the heiress right there with her, enjoying that sunbath.

"Oh, London…" –she whispered.

When she finally decided to get up a few minutes later, she realized she was wet between her legs. Thinking that hard about London made her wet. Now, more than ever, Maddie wished the heiress was there with her, so she could put out the fire that was burning inside her.

"Maddie! Come on, let's go! We still need to get back to camp!" –her sister Gennie called her out. As she walked towards her family's direction, she kept telling herself that she was going to need to change her soaking panties when she got back to their camp.

o0o

While all this happened, back in Switzerland it was already 1o'clock in the morning, and London was still on the phone. She had not stopped all day, talking with people and making sure that everything was going according to her plan. Right then, she was talking with Marion Moseby, the Boston Tipton's general manager.

"Moseby, I know you're happy with your work in Boston, but listen, you're the only person I trust for the job." –London told him over the phone.

"But London, you know that I have a lot of responsibilities here… I just can't leave everything behind for another job." –Moseby tried to reason with the heiress.

"I already told you. Think about this as if it was a promotion or a temporary transfer with the advantage of receiving a very big bonus for the job you're going to do. When this is over you'll go back to your old…" –London told him with a slightly cheerful voice; still, Moseby was as stubborn as one can be, and kept saying that he opposed the whole idea. –"… Moseby, listen, we'll discuss this later; just tell me one last thing. Did you go to my school and took care of everything I told you about?"

"Yes I have. It took me two whole days, but everything has been taken care of."

"Every last person on the list I sent you?"

"Yes, every last person. Believe me; I checked it five times, so there's no kind of inconvenience." –Moseby answered her. –"But I still can't believe you managed to talk everyone's parents into this."

"Well, I was thinking about all the crazy and funny things that I'm going to do with Maddie, when I told them that this was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I wasn't lying, this really is going to be something which everyone will tell their children and their grandchildren." –London told him, trying not to yawn –"Well, I'll talk to you later, Moseby. I still have lots of phone calls to make."

Once she put down the phone, London gave a huge sigh of relief. She was incredibly exhausted. All day making and receiving calls had really done a number on her. But, she could not stop. She knew that if she wanted her surprise for Maddie to be done, she needed to get things into motion. But she was so tired, and her warm bed was calling her. It was then her mother, Akita Tipton, showed up dressed in a bath robe and saw her daughter still up, next to the desk, completely exhausted. She had heard noises coming from her office and came to check out, when she saw her daughter.

"London, sweetheart, don't tell me you're still up?!" –Akita said, as she closed in on her. –"It's already pass 1 o'clock in the morning."

"I know mom, but I still have so much work to do." –London told her, now sounding more like a zombie. –"Sorry if I woke you." –she apologized to her mother.

"It's okay, sweetie, but you should be in bed. I know you're trying your best to make everything work, but if you stay on the phone whole day, without even taking a break to eat properly, you'll get sick." –Akita warned her daughter. –"Now, let's go to bed. Come on, I'll tuck you in."

Following her mother into her room, London quickly changed into her nightgown, while Akita went to the kitchen to make her a cup of hot chocolate. London loved her mom's hot chocolate because she was one of the few people who made it just like the Asian-beauty loved it. She added three marshmallows, then poured whipped-cream and chocolate shaving on top, and finally, she placed a cinnamon biscuit on the side. It was one of those good memories that London kept of her mother. When she came back, London already in her bed, and she had turned on the television and was watching one of her favourite Disney cartoons, _Polar Trappers_ with Mickey, Donald and Goofy as its stars. One thing was for sure, London sure loved cartoons, and she had good taste when choosing which to watch.

"Here you go, London, just like you like it." –Akita said, as she handled the hot chocolate. Taking a small sip, she immediately felt warmer inside. There was really nothing better than her mom's hot chocolate to keep her warm. Well, maybe except for Maddie's gorgeous and warm body.

"Thanks, mom." –she sighed, just before drinking another sip of the delicious and creamy hot chocolate. –"I really needed it."

It was then that London's pooch Ivanna showed up. The white Pomeranian yapped, as she jumped onto her mistress's bed, snuggling right next to her.

"I think we must have awakened Ivanna." –London told her mom. –"Did we wake you up, my pretty little furball?" –the heiress said, as she picked up Ivanna and kissed her on the nose, making her yap. –"Yes, we did, yes we did…"

Ivanna always made London feel a lot better, when she either feeling down or tired. Before Maddie became her girlfriend, it was Ivanna who was her most trusted confident. London would tell her things that she did not tell anyone, not even Maddie, who was her best-friend. Things had changed since that happened, but even now, Ivanna was more than just a pet for London, she was her friend. Sometimes, the Asian-beauty would even ask herself how Ivanna would look like if she was human.

"Well, while you drink your hot chocolate and pet Ivanna, maybe you can tell me how is your "secret" project coming along?" –Akita asked her, as she sat next to her.

"Sure thing, mom… well, it's going okay, so far. Still, I have a ton of things yet to do. I never thought that planning this would be so demanding." –London complained.

"Are you having second doubts regarding this decision of yours, sweetie?" –Akita asked her, looking her in the eyes.

"No, I'm not." –she immediately answered. –"This project will be one of the most exciting and funniest things I've ever did. It will also be the first time I'll show the world that I'm not just a spoiled rich girl, who depends on her father's money, and that I don't just want to spend my whole day shopping; I want to show them that I also care about other things. Plus, it will be the most amazing gift I've ever gave to Maddie and my closest friends. I want them to remember this as a part of their lives they will never forget." –London declared, her words showing just how proud of herself she was right then, as she placed the hot chocolate mug on top of her bedside table.

"I see… Sweetie, you know that I will always be there to support you in all of your decisions, but you don't have to do this all by yourself, you know? You could ask for help. Planning something as big as you are, it's only natural that you're going to need a little help for somebody. I could help you with it, and so could your father… I mean, I know you want to do things all by yourself and prove that you're much more than what people see you for, but sometimes you need to put your pride aside and ask for help, because there isn't anyone in this world who can do everything without asking for a little bit of help, once in a while." –Akita explained London, trying to make her understand that everyone needs help. –"So, what do you say? Can I help you with this, starting tomorrow?"

It only took her a second to think that over, and London's answer was:

"Yes. Yes, you can help me, mom, and I'll be glad to have you on board!" –London exclaimed, as she hugged her mother.

After she finished her hot chocolate, she handled the empty mug to Akita, then turned off the television, kissed her mother goodnight, as well as Ivanna and quickly got under the sheets, resting her head on the fluffy pillow.

"Thanks mom."

"For the hot chocolate, or for the talk?" –Akita asked her.

"For both, actually. You made me realize that I might be rich, but that doesn't make me inhuman and all-powerful." –London smiled.

Smiling back to her, Akita kissed her goodnight, then grabbed Ivanna and turn off the lights, just before closing the door behind her, leaving London surrounded by darkness. But to her, the darkness that surrounded was not scary, nor spooky nor terrifying. Instead, the darkness was like a cloak that protected her from everything bad there was out there. Plus, in the darkness her senses became more alert, especially her hearing. She could hear what was going on, on any part of the house. She could hear her mother's footsteps in the kitchen, as well as Ivanna's footsteps, as she jumped up and down, begging Akita for a treat.

In darkness, she could pretend anything was happening to her. She could pretend that she was in another world, or in another place. Darkness was her friend, not her enemy, and she knew it, because she felt good, just like when she was with Maddie.

Shortly after that thought about Maddie, London began to imagine where her best-friend/girlfriend might be, and what was she doing. When she called her earlier, she was having lunch, and told her just how much she missed her. The heiress remembered every word they exchanged over the phone.

"_Hey, Maddie, how is my favourite girl going? Are you still enjoying Yellowstone? Have you seen any bears with green ties and green hats?_"

"_Slow it down, London. As for the bears, no, I haven't seen one that looks like Yogi Bear. As for how I'm doing, I've got one word for it, bored… I mean, I'm having a good time, but I'm bored. I don't have you around here to keep me company and tell me jokes._" –Maddie sighed over the phone.

"_Just to keep you company and tell you jokes? Don't tell me if I was there with you, you wouldn't like me to do naughty things with you?_" –London teased her.

"_Okay, those too…_" –Maddie giggled. _–"… still, I'm always thinking about you. I thought it would be easier for us to spend these months separated." –she sighed. –"My mom says that it's not healthy for me to always be thinking about you. But I just can't help it._"

"_Same thing goes for me._" –London told her, in order to cheer her up, feeling that Maddie was frustrated. They had been apart many times before, but this was the first time they would be separated for so long, after they started dating. –"_But look, we aren't the only ones who are separated by an ocean. There are hundreds if not thousands of couples who are having the same problem as we are._"

"_I know, but… it still is hard for me to apart from you._" –Maddie pouted, now sounding just like London, when she used to beg to have something. Still, trying to change the subject, she told the heiress. –"_You know, last night I dreamt about you._"

"_You did? I bet it was a really wet and kinky dream._" –London teased her.

"_Well, it was a little kinky indeed… you want me to tell it to you?_"

"_If you do that, then it won't come true._" –London said innocently. Like always, she believed that if someone told a dram they had, it would not come true, just like in the Cinderella fairy tale.

"_Oh, don't worry, I can tell you that this dream will come true, even if I tell it to you._" –Maddie teased her this time. –"_We were both at the beach, wearing nothing but bikinis and drink piña coladas, and then you ask me if you can rub a little suntan lotion on my back, to which I say yes. You unclasp my bikini and then start to rub the lotion on my back, massaging me. Then, of course, I turn around, pull you to me, and start to kiss you. One thing leads to another, and then, we're completely nude having sex on the beach for the rest of the day, screaming each other's names, as we reach countless orgasms._" –the blonde whispered the last phrase.

"_Oh, you naughty, naughty girl, Maddie. Well, then let me tell you that I also had a kinky dream with you last night, and this one, I'm not afraid to tell you, because it will be one of the first things I'll do with you, when we're together again_." –London told her. –"_It all starts with us at a party with all our friends. Then, I tell you to follow me to my room, and there I cover you with whipped cream and cherries and strawberries, and I start to eat them out of you, tickling you with my tongue and my lips, while you moan nonstop, begging me to go on._" –she said with a low and sensual voice, always giggling, just from thinking about the whole scene.

"_And then I'm the naughty one in our relationship._" –Maddie laughed hard over the phone, making the heiress also laugh. They laughed for almost a minute without interruptions, before they resumed conversation, muffling their last laughs. _–"… I say, you are unbelievable, Princess. I'm not even going to ask you what kind of porn you've been watching to have those dreams._"

"_If you won't, then I won't ask you the same either, Blondie._" –London shot back, teasing her girlfriend once again. It felt so good to laugh with Maddie, even if it was by the phone. She knew she would have the opportunity to share many more of those moments with the sweet blonde. –"_Well, I have to go now… talk more with you tomorrow?_"

"_Of course… but do you really have to go just now? We were just starting to have fun._" –Maddie pouted.

"_Unfortunately, yes. But don't worry, I'll be thinking about you the whole time, ma bijoux._" –London told her.

"_Yay me…_" –Maddie sighed, using London's famous catchphrase. Still, unlike London, who used it when she was happy, Maddie was sad when she used it, and you could clearly get that by the tone of her voice.

"_Come on, Maddie, don't be sad. If you stay sad, then I'll get sad too, and you know that I hate being sad…_" –London pretended that she had started to cry.

"_Okay, okay, I'm sorry, baby. You're right, I'm being selfish… sorry._" –Maddie apologized to her.

"_It's okay, Maddie… oh, and one more thing, if you want to use my catchphrase, you'll have to pay me for the copyrights._" –London joked with her.

"_Oh, don't tell me I can't use it?_" –Maddie also joked about it. –"_Can I pay the copyrights to you in smooches?_"

"_I don't know… but, since you're my best friend and girlfriend and I happen to know a few people who work on the copyright department, I guess I can accept it._" –London told her, blowing her a kiss over the phone.

"_I knew you would. You're awesome… in fact; you're the most awesome girl on Earth._"

"_Yay me…_" –she answered back with a low and sexy voice, teasing Maddie.

With that conversation echoing inside her head, and the fact of her starting to get hotter by the minute, London decided she could not resist playing herself, while thinking about Maddie. Throwing the sheets to the opposite side of her bed, she quickly took off her nightgown and pulled down her panties, becoming absolutely naked. Thinking about Maddie, just made the adrenaline rush quicker through her veins. Biting her upper lip, London's hands found their way to her body's most erogenous areas.

As her right hand found its way to London's pussy, her left hand began fondling her breasts, making her nipples rock hard. Her own touch to the sensitive folds of her clitoris made her gasp and moan with desire.

At first, she kept her touch light but continued to stroke her clit, making her hotter and more aroused by the minute. Her whole mind… whole of her thoughts focused only on Maddie's beautiful and gorgeous body, wishing she was there with her, making her go wild. She began to imagine Maddie's delicious lips kissing hers, her soft boobs squeezing against the blonde's, making her wetter as she continued to pleasure herself. All her nerve endings were on high alert and she was more swollen and wet by the minute. Touching herself, was like having Maddie touching her with her soft and delicate fingers.

"Maddie… mon amour… kiss me…" London murmured aloud.

Occasionally she opened her eyes, and at one time she really thought she was seeing Maddie on top of her, looking at her with a beautiful and impish smile on her face, her eyes burning with desire.

"_Maddie… fuck me, Blondie…_" –she thought to herself.

Each touch with her fingers drew another moan as her left hand pinched and played with her breasts, the nipples hardening and increasing her feeling of urgency and pleasure. She began to pinch them harder and harder. She did not mind if in the end of all that her nipples hurt her; the pain felt good to her right then, and that was all that mattered. As her excitement rose, she threw her head back and arched her spine. Her fingers began to move more rapidly, the tension drawing tighter and tighter as she reached for the orgasm.

Finally, an orgasm struck her like a bolt of lightning. Her toes curled, her spine arched and her heart kept beating like a crazy ticker, as the amazing orgasm shot through her body, and she bit her lower lip, trying not to yell Maddie's name on top of her lungs; she did not want her mother to think something was wrong with her. The power of it left her dazed and warm. It was as if she had just had sex with Maddie. She just loved that amazing feeling, and wished she could keep feeling it not for just a few more minutes, but for endless hours, non-stop.

"Oh, Maddie…" –she whispered, as she tasted her own love juices, savouring them as if they were ambrosia. –"No matter how many times I play with myself, it's never the same without you to make me cum."

Not having Maddie around made her feel as if she had a hole where her heart was supposed to be, and that just made her feel a little gloomy. Of course, London knew that crying would not solve anything, so she told herself that she was not going to pout over the matter, and that she had to remain strong; after all, she was planning something huge just to prove the world that she was really more than meets the eye, and all that was because Maddie had believed in her, and had told her that she was smarter than people gave her credit for. And now, she was going to prove that Maddie was right about her by doing a thing that would be remembered forever in the History of Mankind, but most importantly, it would be remembered by them both and by those who were close to the girls.

"_Maddie, just you wait… when you find out what I'm really coming up with, you're going to be so proud of me._" –she thought to herself, with a genuine smile on her face, as she pulled one of the sheets over her naked body and closed her eyes, waiting for the Sandman to pay her a visit, transporting her to Dreamland.


	2. New York, New York

**Chapter 2: New York, New York**

Days went by, and soon, it was the end of August and it was time to go back home for Maddie. Even though it had been rough not being with London, she did her best to have fun with her family. By the end of their vacation, she actually fell sorry she did not hang out with her sister Genevieve and her brother Liam more often. Spending so much time at the Tipton, working shifts at the candy-counter, she had found amazing friends like the Martin twins, Mark and his girlfriend Anastasia, the twins' girlfriends Barbara and Max, Arwin, Esteban, Carey and even Marion Moseby, the hotel's manager who became like a second father to her, especially since she started dating London.

As they grabbed their camping gear and got in their van, Maddie made a mental note, on trying to hang out with her brother and sister more often. She took one last look at the amazing natural park, as she got into the van. The last one to climb onto the van was the family dog', Scampy, who jumped to Maddie's lap, making himself comfortable and ready to take a little nap. Maddie petted him, trying to make him fall asleep faster. It really had been an amazing vacation, and now it was another week for them to get to Boston.

As the sun set on the horizon and night began to engulf the world around them. As they approached a little town, Maddie asked herself if that road trip back to the East coast was going to be anything but boring, with the whole family _playing I Spy_, or the _Alphabet Game_ or _Twenty Questions_, while her father drove all the way back home. Irving Fitzpatrick was known for many things, and being extremely stubborn when it came to let anyone else do the driving but him was one of them. Maddie's mom Miranda, her sister Genevieve and herself also had a driver's license, and could change places with Irving from time to time, but he would not just let them. He always said that it was his job, and nobody else's. He was already driving for more than 6 hours, and Maddie felt that someone else should take the wheel for a little while, giving her dad the chance to rest for a bit.

"Dad, come on, let me take the wheel for an hour!" –Maddie begged Irving. –"I got my driver's license with flying colours. If I don't practice from time to time, I'll get rusty."

"Maddie, I told you that I like to be the one driving on long trips." –Irving told her.

"Dad, it's like you don't trust me or Gennie or mom to do the driving." –Maddie shot back at him, clearly upset because of her father's stubbornness.

"It's not that I don't trust any of you, but it's one those things that we've been doing since we can remember, and well, I like to keep the tradition."

"Face it, Maddie, dad's not letting go of that wheel." –Liam whispered to her.

"We'll be stopping for dinner in a couple of minutes, kids. Do you have any suggestions on where should we eat tonight?" –Miranda asked her children, trying to change the subject.

"McDonald's!" –Liam exclaimed. If it was up to him, they would always be eating in a fast-food restaurant. With the amount of greasy fast-food he ate, everyone in the family asked themselves how was he able to not gain a single pound.

"In your dreams, pipsqueak!" –Gennie shot back him. –"Why don't we try and find a place where they serve vegetarian?"

"You and your vegetarianism…" –Miranda told her daughter. Like every year, Genevieve had started to eat nothing but fruits and vegetables since the beginning of the summer, and that meant that wherever they went out to lunch or dinner, they she would always eat something different from the others. It was already a tradition, because she did not want to gain weight before heading back to college, where she would start to eat normally again. –"… it has to be somewhere where we can all have a nice meal, and it isn't too crowded."

"Hey, what about that place over there?" –Maddie pointed out through the car window.

The place the blonde was pointing out was an old Italian restaurant called _Pizza di Roma_. You could see that it had seen better days; the neon sign was always blinking, and the outside could use a paintjob. Still, the inside looked like one of those restaurants from the early 20's that you see in the movies, although just like the outside, it had seen better days. Still, it looked like a place where you could have a good meal and spend a nice evening.

"Oh, an Italian restaurant, now that's an excellent idea, Maddie. Irving, pull over." –Miranda said, as her husband signaled the car that was behind them that he was going to pull over.

Once inside, a beautiful waitress from Genevieve's age accompanied them to a table and as soon as they were all seated, she showed them the menu, even though it was not necessary, because they knew what they wanted to eat… pizza. All of them were in the mood for a delicious pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven, except Genevieve, who asked for a salad.

Liam and Irving both ordered a Four Cheese pizza, while Maddie and Miranda ordered a Neapolitan pizza. Genevieve on the other hand, asked for a tomato, cucumber and onion salad. Maddie even made fun of her a little about the fact that she was going to eat salad and they were all going to eat pizza.

As they waited for the food to arrive, they all talked about where they were going to spend the night, since they had not seen a motel in almost 80 miles. Then, Maddie's cellphone started to ring. Taking it out of her purse, she immediately saw that it was London calling her. She smiled as she answered the call.

"Hey, Princess. I wasn't expecting to hear you again today."

"Hey, Blondie, let's just say that I wanted to hear your voiuce once again." –London said, making Maddie giggle. –"Tell me, are you alone? Just say yes or no."

"Well… no."

"Can you go to somewhere where you're alone?"

"Yes, I think so." –Maddie answered, as she got up from the table and got ready to come up with an excuse to go outside. –"I'm breaking up! I'm going outside, I'll be right back." –the blonde excused herself, as she headed to the exit.

Already outside, she told London that she was alone and that there was no one else listening.

"Sorry about that, Maddie, but I needed to talk to you." –London apologized herself.

"That's okay… but tell me, is everything alright? Did something bad happen?" –Maddie asked her, worried that something had happened to London and she did not know about it.

"No, no, everything is just fine. I called you, because I have a little favour to ask you… well, not just you, but your whole family." –London told her.

"A favour? What kind of favour?" –Maddie asked her, a little confused and hesitant to say yes. Usually, when she asked Maddie for a favour it was either because she needed help, or because she was up to something.

"Well, I was wondering since you're on your way back home… if you could ask your family if they could drive you to the Tipton? And I don't mean the Boston Tipton, I mean the New York City Tipton in Manhattan… I've got something I want to show you. Something I've been working on."

"New York City? But, London, my grandmother is waiting for us back in Boston. We can't just go to New York and leave her with my aunt Francine for another week or so."

"Oh, don't worry about your grandmother, she's here with me."

"What?! My grandmother is in the Tipton with you?"

"Yap, she is, right here in New York. I went to pick her up this afternoon on my private helicopter, and she's having the time of her life. She has been telling me all these amazing stories of you when you're just a little girl, and she showed me the albums she brought with her… the ones with your baby pictures, and let me just say that you were a really cute baby, baby." –London laughed, trying not to burst.

"_I'm so going to kill grandma for this!_" –Maddie thought to herself. Everyone knew that she hated people to see her baby pictures. –"She's in New York, huh? With you? Well, I guess knowing that, my dad won't have any other option but to go there in order to get her." –she said sarcastically.

"I know, it's a real bummer, isn't it?" –London said, imitating Maddie's sarcastic tone of voice, just to tease her a little. –"Come on, it'll be fun… and we can hang out together."

"You really are a minx, you know that? –Maddie asked her deadpanned.

"Yeah, I do, you always say that when I kiss your beautiful neck, making you moan." –London kept teasing her.

"Yes I do." –Maddie stated. –"Well, I'll see you in three days, then."

"Your grandma and I will be waiting for you. Lots of kisses!" –London said as she hung up. –"_Maddie, Maddie, Maddie, you don't even have the slightest idea of what I'm cooking up… and believe me, you're going to love it._" –she thought to herself.

Going back inside, Maddie joined the rest of the Fitzpatricks and quickly told them what London told her on the phone. The first reaction to them was that that had to be a joke that Maddie and the heiress had been planning, but quickly saw that it was no joke or prank. Why would London take old grandmother Fitzpatrick with her to New York City? That was the one million dollar question right then. They all knew that something smelled fishy in that story… grandma was not the kind of person who would help a person with a crazy plan of sorts. Still, they had to go and pick her up.

"So, I guess it's safe to assume that we're going to the Big Apple?" –Maddie asked her dad.

"I guess so, baby-girl. I don't know what London is up to by going to pick your grandmother like that and take her to New York, but we're going to find out." –Irving told her.

On that night, just knowing she was going to be able to see London a little bit earlier than she thought, was enough to make Maddie not being able to sleep a wink. She kept thinking about on what kind of surprise London was telling her about.

"_Knowing London, it could be just about anything… she could have decided to ask me to marry her… or she could have bought me a pair of crystal slippers and a matching dress, and wants to re-enact the ball scene from Cinderella… or she could have bought me a deserted island where we could go on vacation whenever we want to… I mean, she could have done any of those things, she's got the money and the imagination to do them._" –Maddie thought to herself. –"_Whatever it is you came up with London, I know that will be something that'll surprise me as always._"

Just like she had thought, it took them four days to get to the East coast, but they got there. It had been years since Irving drove to New York City, but there was one thing that it had not change, and that was traffic. The horns and the swearing could be heard from a mile away… people had a tendency to say that the worst drivers in the world were from L.A. and New York, and they were probably right, because it seemed there was not a single driver on the streets who was not being told to get a new driver's license.

As they crossed the George Washington Bridge and prepared to enter the island of Manhattan, Maddie's mind began to think about all kinds of stuff that were related to that island, which was for many people the heart and core not only of New York City but of America itself. The island which according to American History had been bought to the Native Americans for 24 dollars, which would be equivalent to 1000 dollars these days, had been part of Dutch colony called New Amsterdam, later being renamed New York when it was conquered by the British in 1664. It had been the birthplace of the Sons of Liberty following the Stamp Act, as well as the place which experienced the arrival of thousands of African-Americans during the Great Migration from the southern United States. Not only that, it had been the place where some of the largest buildings built during the early 20th century like the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building and the GE Building. And of course, Maddie could not forget about the event that took place on the centre of New York's financial district on 9/11 and that had changed the world forever… the destruction of the World Trade Center towers by the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, who hijacked two Boeing 767 and crashed them into the towers. No doubt that when they stepped on Manhattan, people were not just stepping the surface of one the greatest cities in the world; they were stepping on the surface of a place that had seen so much History, and it was without doubt part of History itself.

The busy streets proved to be a real challenge for a skilled driver such as Irving, and although many would have lost their patience while driving through them, he remained calm and tried to do everything by the book. Forty-five minutes after exiting the George Washington Bridge, they finally arrived at the Tipton Hotel. Located on the magnificent 5th Avenue on Central Park South, with a unique view over New York City's largest and most beautiful urban park, Central Park; stood the New York City's Tipton. The French Renaissance chateau style building itself had been acquired by Wilfred Tipton two years after London's birth, and ever since then had been the only real rival the Boston Tipton ever had, when it came to luxury. Truth be told, both hotels offered the same kind of services, but there had always been a bitter rivalry between them.

As soon as their van pulled up to the entrance, a valet jumped forward to take the keys. Irving handed the keys over, the valet handed him a card to retrieve their vehicle later, and as they made to head for the doors, Miranda tipped the valet ten dollars. Not wanting to let Scampy alone in the car, Maddie told Genevieve to grab him, which she did and put him on a leach.

Entering through the doors the doorman held open for them. He immediately recognized Maddie but did not utter a single word, with the exception of wishing her and the rest of the Fitzpatricks a nice stay. They walked across the enormous grand lobby dripping with wealth toward the massive reception desk. As they walked, they all admired the lobby and its decoration. It looked almost like a real-life palace, the kind you only see in movies or fairy-tales. The white floor was carpeted with an ostensive emerald green carpet. And the logo of the Tipton Hotels could be seen almost everywhere. It had nothing to do with the Boston Tipton, which had a very different decoration, although some of the motifs were identical.

When they got to the reception desk, the desk clerk gave them a smile.

"Welcome to the Tipton, how may I help you?"

"Good afternoon, I'm Madeline Fitzpatrick and I'm here to see London Tipton, please."

"Oh, yes, Miss Fitzpatrick, we were expecting you." –she said, a little embarrassed for not having recognized Maddie right from the first moment. –"Miss Tipton is upstairs in the Victorian suite on the last floor, waiting for you."

"_The penthouse suite, I should have known_." –Maddie giggled to herself, finding a little funny that her girlfriend always stayed on the penthouse suite in every hotel she visited.

After thanking for the information, all the Fitzpatricks took one of the elevators to the last floor. Unlike the Boston Tipton, where the whole last floor had been converted into London's private suite, this one had six different suites, the biggest being the Victorian suite where London was staying, which also happened to be the most expensive suite of the entire hotel. When the elevator's doors opened, Maddie was the first to exit. Looking around for the Victorian suite, she immediately found it. The double-doors with a huge "V" gave it away immediately. Knocking on the door, they waited for anyone to open it, which did not take long. A few moments later, the doors opened and they saw London, smiling at them. She was wearing a blue tank top, black gym shorts, black wrist bands on both wrists, and white sneakers. As for her hair, she was wearing it on a loose ponytail. In her left hand she was holding a bottle of icy Gatorade. Maddie noticed that it was Fierce Strawberry, London's favourite flavour.

"Maddie!" –London launched herself into the arms of her love, as soon as she saw it was her. –"You all arrived earlier than I expected." –the heiress said. Her voice revealed that she was extremely happy to have them all there.

"Well, if you want us we can come back later." –Maddie joked with her.

"Nonsense, Blondie… but where are my manners? Come on in, everyone." –she let them all enter. –"You were all lucky in catching me, because I was on my way to the gym for a light training."

The magnificent Victorian suite was as beautiful as one could imagine. It had 5 different rooms, three bathrooms and a giant living room. The walls and the ceiling were painted in a beautiful shade of vanilla-white giving away a sense of peace. The wooden floor was remarkably polished that you could see one's reflection on it. The furniture looked like 19th century and it was most likely from that period. The only thing that did not match the rest of the decoration was the huge plasma-screen television.

"Whoa, this place sure is pretty." –Genevieve said, as she petted Scampy, who was now being held in her arms.

"Yeah, but it isn't my style." –London told Maddie's sister. –"Don't get me wrong, I like all these beautiful old things like the sofas, the tables and the huge statues… heck even that stuffed tiger over there looks very beautiful." –she said, pointing out to the huge stuffed Siberian tiger that adorned the living room. –"But, I like stuff that look brand new. All this, should be in a museum, not a hotel suite."

"Only you would say something like that…" –Maddie giggled, as she wrapped her left arm, around London's waist, pulling her closer to her. –"… but tell me, where's my grandma?"

"Oh, she's in the Imperial Suite, down the hall. She's sleeping, so you don't have to worry." –London answered her. –"I know that you must have all kinds of questions, but don't worry, I'll explain everything at dinner, where I will also reveal the reason why I asked you to come to New York. As long as you are here, you're all my guests. Which reminds me, here's the Imperial Suite's key card, and I better call the reception desk and tell them to get your luggage up here." –she said, as she gave the key card to Miranda.

"London, honey… this is all very nice, but, we can't accept this. I mean, Maddie's one thing, but the rest of us… we don't want to impose ourselves on you." –Miranda told her.

"Nonsense, if Maddie is able to enjoy all kinds of wonderful things when she's with me, why shouldn't you also? I said it once, and I'll say it again, as long as me and Blondie are together, which will be forever, you're my family also." –London said innocently, though she meant every last word. –"Here are the keys to the Imperial Suite. Feel free to call room service and order anything, and later, we're all going shopping downstairs in the Tipton Galleries with my mom, so we look dazzling at dinner." –London said.

"Awesome!" –Liam exclaimed. –"Oops, sorry, it just came out…" –he said, a little embarrassed.

"_Liam will never learn…_" –Genevieve thought to herself.

"By the way, where's your mom?" –Maddie asked her, not seeing Akita anywhere.

"Oh, she went out for a walk with Ivanna, and she should be back in an hour or so… Ivanna is going to be thrilled when she sees that her boyfriend came to see her." –the heiress said, as she petted Scampy who yapped happily, clearly recognizing Ivanna's name.

"Well… if you don't mind, I guess we should go and check if our things arrive, and see if grandma is still sleeping. You're coming, baby-girl?" –Irving asked Maddie.

"No, you go on ahead, dad. I'm staying a little bit more with London." –Maddie answered. She wanted to stay a little bit longer with the Asian-beauty. They had been separated for almost two whole months, and now they needed at least an hour to make up for the time they were apart.

"Alright, see you later then." –Irving said, as he left, along with the rest of Maddie's family.

When they heard the click form the door closing, both London and Maddie immediately jumped on each other's arms and started to kiss. It felt so long, since their last kiss. As their tongues played with each other, they each thought on what they were going to say after they finished kissing. As soon as they broke the kiss, they kept staring into each other's eyes for a couple of more seconds.

"I missed you so much, Maddie."

"I missed you do much too, London… but let me get a look at you." –Maddie giggled. –"You got a little taller since the last time I saw you."

"Yeah, but you also got a little bit taller and I'm still shorter than you." –London pouted.

"Don't worry, Princess. You may be shorter than me, but it's just a little bit. And is it me, or are your boobs a little bigger?" –Maddie asked her, as she gently grabbed London's breasts and squeezed them gently.

"You noticed it!" –London exclaimed. –"I admit it, during my stay in Switzerland I ate a few more chocolates that I should, and as a side effect, my boobs got slightly bigger." –she giggled. –Plus, I've been doing a little fitness during my free time, and as you can see, I'm a little more athletic."

"I can see that." –Maddie said, as she noticed London's slightly muscled legs. –"You've also doing yoga, I bet."

"Yeah… you know me so well, Blondie. But enough about me, let me take a look at you." –London said, as she looked Maddie closer, looking for any big change in her. –"You're a bit taller, but you already know that… you're suntanned… you put on a little weight, but just a pound or two."

"How do you know that?"

"Your butt… your butt looks a little rounder the last time I got the opportunity to slap it." –London giggled, as she playfully slapped Maddie's ass. –"And let me just say that I don't mind you putting on a little weight, if it goes to the right places like your ass, or your boobs…"

"In sum, the places you love to kiss, slap, bite, caress and touch, isn't that right?" –Maddie commented, as she kissed the Asian-beauty, leaving her breathless.

"You betcha…" –London kissed her back, not even giving her time to catch her breath. –"What do you say if we go to my room and cuddle for a little? My mom won't be back for another hour." –she suggested.

"I would like that… but, what about your training?" –Maddie reminded her.

"Oh, yeah, I completely forgot… but if I go, I won't be able to spend time with you… I know! Why don't you come with me? You can wear some of my clothes. You and I dress the same size, remember?"

"Alright, give me five minutes to change clothes, and then we'll go together. I need to work a little too."

In just five minutes, Maddie changed her clothes. She was now mimicking London by wearing a black tank top, black gym shorts and red sneakers. Fixing her hair also in a ponytail and grabbing a towel, she was ready for some work out, though something told her that they were going to do so much more.

As always, London had a little surprise for Maddie. The blonde thought they were going downstairs to the hotel's gymnasium, but then, the brunette showed her a little secret only known by the hotel's staff and the people who had stayed in that particular suite. The Asian-beauty led her across the room to the hallway. The first door they came to turned out to be an elevator. She pressed a button and the doors opened. They entered and London pressed the up button. The ascension only took a few seconds, and when the doors opened, they saw themselves inside one of that hotel's most secretive secrets. Turns out the Victorian suite had a private gym, equipped with everything a person would need. There were two treadmills and two rowing machines, as well as two exercise bikes, dumbbells, weight benches, and so much more.

The gym itself was an indoor gym and it looked like so many of its kind. The walls were panelled with mirrors, reflecting one's image countless times, as for the floor, it was absolutely spotless and polished, just like the floor of the suite.

"So, what do you think?" –London asked, as she placed down her towel and her Gatorade on top of a small counter near her.

"I think that when we get back to Boston, we're going to need to do a little remodelling on your penthouse suite, because I want one of these." –Maddie joked.

"Sure…" –she giggled. –"Are you ready to work out?"

"In a little… but first, I want to try something out with you… It's a little fantasy of mine." –Maddie said, with an impish smile on her face. Getting closer to London, she placed a peck on her lips, and then gently pulled the brunette's tank top over her head. Then, unclasping her bra, she let her topless, and did the same with her.

With both of them topless, Maddie pulled London to her, and when their bodies touched, and she felt the Asian-beauty's nipples touching hers, she started to kiss her, as her hands caressed London's most erogenous zones on her upper torso. London followed her lead, and also started doing the same. An explosion of passion ans raw desire erupted in both of them, as their nude breasts touched. It did not take long for London to realise what Maddie's fantasy was… she wanted to make out topless, just wearing their gym shorts, or at least, that is what she thought.

"Mmm… that's it, London… kiss me, baby!" –Maddie moaned louder and louder, as London's tongue touched her skin, sending shivers up her spine.

"You go it, mon bijoux…" –London said with naughty voice, as she kissed Maddie's delicate chin, moving down to her neck.

The floor was as cold as ice, but the girls did not mind. The heat their bodies were generating right then could easily melt a block of ice. In fact, they enjoyed having their warm skin against something icy. It made them feel even more alive than they were. Then, Maddie forced London to roll over, as if she was fighting her. Still not understanding what she was trying to do, London just followed Maddie's lead, as her lips magnetically drawn to the blonde's nipples, nibbling them.

"Oh, fuck! London, don't stop, please." –Maddie yelled, as she tried to catch her breath. It seemed to her that London was insatiable.

"Who says I was going to?" –London told her with an incredibly sexy voice, as she began to gently bite Maddie's neck, making her moan even harder.

"Oh, baby, make me cum!" –Maddie yelled.

Soon after, the girls both reached climax; first Maddie, and then London. They just stood there for a moment, regaining their breath and looking at each other, before cracking up in laughter.

"This was freaky… (laugh)…" –London laughed. –"What kind of a fantasy was this one?"

"Oh, it's just that… (laugh)… my sister and I, we liked to play wrestling after watching American Gladiators when we were little, and I've always had this fantasy to make love to someone while pretending that I'm wrestling with that person." –Maddie explained her. –"I know, I know, it was a stupid thing to do…"

"No, I kinda liked it… it involved us pleasuring each other by just touching and kissing, while making a couple of sudden movements. It's kinda funny, because so far we never reached an orgasm like that…" –London said. –"… Maddie, I think we reached to another level on our relationship. We reached a point that we don't need to touch our clits to cum." –she said, before giggling maliciously. –"Just kissing each other is enough to make us reach climax."

"Does that mean we're going to stop fucking like we've done until now?" –Maddie asked her with an impish smile on her face.

"Hell no… where would be the fun in that?" –London said, as she pecked her on the lips, and then helped her getting up. –"Besides, I love to lick that pussy of yours."

"Ditto on that…" –Maddie laughed, as she dressed back, mimicking London. –"So, are you ready for a little work out now?"

"Sure, but after having my heart beating like the heart of a hummingbird for nearly five minutes, I think I would call it a day." –London said, being a little lazy about it.

"Come on, I'll help you out."

And so she did. Besides making the same exercises as London, Maddie took up the place of personal trainer during that session, trying to encourage her. She knew that if a person had someone encouraging her, everything became a lot easier.

"Alright, just a few more push-ups, London.

"I can't…" –London said, exhausted. Her whole body ached.–"… please, Maddie, let's call it a day." –the brunette begged her.

"No can do, London. After this, we still have a 2 mile jog on the treadmill… come on, do more five push-ups and I'll give you five big kisses, one for each push-up." –Maddie told her, trying to get her to complete the exercise.

"No… make that ten big kisses and I'll do it." –London told her, trying to negotiate the terms.

Hearing that counter-offer, Maddie kneeled down and gave her one big kiss. When their lips broke apart, she whispered:

"This one is on the house; you've got to earn the other nine kisses."

Doing just as Maddie had told her, London searched inside herself looking for the strength needed to finish that exercise. Every time she did one, she felt like her body was giving up on her. Still, she managed to do all the push-ups and won the kisses the blonde had promised her.

"With such a good looking and persuasive personal trainer such as you, Maddie, I think I could do this all day." –she declared, even though she was bushed. Usually, her training was never that hard.

"I'm flattered, but that won't make me let you skip that jog you still have." –Maddie told her. –"Come on, we'll do this one together."

Doing what she told her, the girls programmed the treadmills to start at the same time. In order to make that easier, Maddie decided to talk with London while they were running. Without even noticing it, they both finished the exercise and were ready to call it a day. They were tired, sweaty and smelly, but they were both satisfied.

"That's it. From now on, I'm sticking to yoga, and nothing else." –London said, as she wiped the sweat of her face with the towel, and finished the last of her Gatorade.

"Well, I'm prepared to do this every day after school, especially since I won't be spending so much time working at the candy-counter." –Maddie declared. Since their relationship had been made known to everyone, London and herself had decided that she would keep having her job, but would have a much more flexible schedule, giving her the time to be with her and do other things.

Going back to the suite, they both took a shower and London borrowed a few clothes to Maddie. As they were just finishing combing their hair, London's mom, Akita entered the suite, having returned from her walk with Ivanna. The white Pomeranian yapped when she sensed Maddie's presence, and quickly ran looking for her and for her mistress. When she found them, she jumped to her mistress's lap and looked at her with her puppy eyes.

"Hey, Ivanna, how are you?" –Maddie petted her. ."that means your mom's back too."

"Mom, we're in my room!" –London shouted at her mother, telling her where they were.

A few seconds later, Akita entered and saw that Maddie had already arrived. Smiling at her, she gave her a big hug and kissed her on her right cheek. She was happy to see her, just as much as her daughter was. Just like Miranda, who had considered London as her third daughter, Akita now considered Maddie as her second daughter.

"Maddie, it's so good to see you again." –Akita told her.

"It's good to see you again too, Mrs. Tipton."

"So, mom, did you have fun?"

"A little… I had almost forgotten that Ivanna loved to run when she's taken for a walk." –Akita told her, clearly a little exhausted from running after London's dog.

"She likes to do that. Next time, you should let me take her for her usual walk. She obeys my every order, don't you Ivanna?" –London said, as she looked at her dog. –"Go on Ivanna, bark!" –she commanded her.

But, instead of doing as she was told, Ivanna leapt from her mistress's lap and began to run around in circles around her. This all caused Maddie and Akita to start laughing. It was clear to them that Ivanna did not obey anyone, unless she wanted it to.

"I guess she's not in the mood for barking." –Maddie joked, as she patted London on the back.

After they were finished, both Maddie and London got ready to go downstairs to buy something pretty to wear at dinner time. They asked London's mom if she was coming, but she told them that she would catch up to them. She needed to rest for at least 30 minutes before going shopping, and she knew that that could be an incredibly exhausting task, given that she never managed to decide what she should buy, which was frustrating because being a jewel designer she was used to make quick decisions on how a piece should look like and what would look right with a certain precious stone and which shape should it have.

Taking Maddie's mom and sister with them, the girls went down to the Tipton Galleries, the New York's Tipton exclusive shopping gallery, in search of the most beautiful night dresses they could find. They entered in the first store and immediately fell in love with the dresses that were on display. The dresses themselves were fabulously colourful and it was hard for them to choose which was the most beautiful and dazzling one.

"Oh, this one would look great on you, mom." –Maddie said, as she showed Miranda a beautiful orange dress.

"I'm with Maddie, mom, this one really looks great on you." –Gennie agreed.

"Oh, I don't know girls… it sure is pretty, but it's too expensive." –Miranda said, as she saw the price on it. She really thought that it was one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever laid her eyes on, but she did not want to take advantage of London's good will.

"Nonsense, Mrs. Fitzptrick, its adorable and it's quite cheap." –London said truthfully. Everything that did not cost more than 100 million dollars was incredibly cheap, at least for London, and she really wanted to offer it to Maddie's mom. –"Go on, why don't you go and try it? I bet you'll look divine."

"Go on, mom, London's taste in fashion is never wrong." –Maddie giggled, happy to see her girlfriend and mother mingle so well. After what happened between them a few months earlier, it seemed amazing just how they had both put all that part of the past behind them.

Doing as she was told Miranda tried it on and just as they had told her, she looked dazzling. With the right shoes and a new hairstyle, she would look like the queen of a fairy-tale.

Soon after, London's mom showed up, and this time she was decided to find the right dress just by following her instinct and fashion taste. Still, she needed the help of everyone to help pick the one dress she saw fit for the occasion. In the end, she chose a beautiful fucsia Manchurian-Chinese quipao with a silver design of a serpent down the left side, which matched beautifully with her eyes. London also decided to buy one, but this one was red and had a silver design of a tiger down the left side, instead of a serpent. As for Maddie and Genevieve, they both bought strapless dresses; Maddie's being bright green and Genevieve being black. They also made sure to buy a beautiful dress for their grandma, although the one they chose was a more conservative one, and not as flashy or colourful as the others.

After London paid for everything, they all went to buy matching shoes, and then spent another two hours in the salon, fixing their hair, nails and eyelashes. They all wanted to look their best for that dinner. Maddie tried to make London to tell her why she had called them there, but she did not reveal a thing. This made Maddie feel like London was hiding something from her, but in a way, Maddie was actually proud of the heiress, because in the past she was not able to keep any secrets, and now, no matter how much they begged her, she would not reveal them.

o0o

At 8 o'clock sharp, everyone was ready and were waiting at the entrance of one of the hotel's restaurants, the _Tipton Bistro_. The last ones arriving were London and Akita, who looked like two Asian movie stars, as they walked down the stairs, heading in the Fitzpatricks direction. But they were not the only ones who looked incredibly beautiful. Everyone looked as if they were on their way to the Academy Awards Ceremony in Beverly Hills. But London and Maddie were the highlight of that group. They looked so cute together, that Maddie's grandmother was always telling them that they were the prettiest couple in that hotel.

All of the Fitzpatricks, especially Maddie wanted to know the reason why she had called them to New York City, and they were going to find out during that dinner, which was the first dinner they had together. As they all sat in their designated seats, London immediately thanked them all for coming and apologized them for her father's absence, because he was supposed to join them that night, but at the last moment could not make it.

"I have to apologize for my father's absence. He really wanted to come, but…"

"Don't worry, London, we know that he's a very busy man." –Maddie said. –"_So busy that he can't even take a full day to spend with his only daughter._" –she sarcastically thought tom herself.

"Anyway, I called you here because right now I'm working on a very special project, and well, I needed you all to see it with your own eyes."

"What is it?" –Liam asked her.

"Oh, that's a secret…" –London giggled.

"But you told us that you were going to tell us what this thing was all about."

"Wrong, Blondie, I told you that I was going to explain you why I made you come here. I never told you that I was going to explain you what I'm up to. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow morning." –London told her. You could see a definite sense of pride in London's eyes. Whatever she was up to, it was something really important and top secret.

Dinner went smoothly, and they quickly forgotten all about the secret matter that London talked about. For the girls it was with great pleasure they saw both families getting so well, even though London's mom was the only one representing her family. The heiress did not say a thing but Maddie could see that she really wished her father was there with them. If someone asked her how she knew that, she would have replied, it's one of those things a girlfriend knows. Still, Maddie tried her best to cheer her up by telling her what she had done during summer, forcing her to also tell her what she had done. Of course, London's description was a little vague, but Maddie did not care. She just wanted London to get those bad thoughts out of her mind.

During desert, London whispered something to Maddie's ear, which made her turn and share a kiss with her. Everyone at the table thought that that gesture was just adorable, and all applauded cheerfully. This made the heiress and the candy-counter girl blush a little.

"A few months ago, this would be unthinkable to all of them." –Maddie thought.

"Glad that now we can kiss in public, without fearing any kind of retaliation from anyone." –London also thought, completing Maddie's thought, as if she had read the blonde's mind.

They all remained in the restaurant until it was about 11 o'clock, exchanging family stories, and situations that had both happened to London and Maddie like when they dressed up like nuns to get away from Sister Dominique, or when they got locked up inside London's wardrobe only to find out that London had the wardrobe's key with her the whole time and had completely forgotten. But the story that all interested them was how the girls fell in love and how they told each other they were head over heels for one another; a secret that had been guarded by those who had helped them, namely the Martin twins and their mother Carey, their girlfriends Barbara and Max, Mark and his father Stephen, and of course, Moseby.

"Oh that was really sweet of them to be singing that song." –Akita said.

"Yeah, they were all realky sweet." –Maddie admitted.

"I never took you for a romantic, Madeline." –Grandma Ftizpatrick told her.

"I'm not a romantic, grandma, I just happen to like romantic stuff." –Maddie short back playfully at her grandmother, who laughed.

"Oh, look at the time…" –Miranda said, as she looked at the enormous grandfather clock that was on display in the middle of the restaurant, which was now completely deserted. They were the only ones still in there.

"We didn't even notice the time go by." –Irving said. –"I think we should go."

"Yes, it's already time. Oh, and one last thing before we go; Tomorrow, be here on the lobby by 7 o'clock." –London warned them all. –"Remember, don't fall asleep, because tomorrow will be a day you'll never forget… _especially you, Maddie._" –London thought the last part.


	3. Surprise Revealed

**Chapter 3: Surprise Revealed**

As she got ready for bed, Maddie thought that she would not sleep a wink, thinking about what London had upper sleeve for the next day. But, she proved to be wrong, for she slept like a baby, and the night passed quickly. When she finally woke up it was already 6 a.m.

Just like London had told them, Maddie and her family were on the lobby when there were still minutes to the appointed time. In the hotel's lobby, many guests were already checking themselves out, as a couple of maids made their way into the service elevators, carrying the typical hotel towel carts, on their way to the upper floors. Another couple of maids were also busy replacing the flowers in the various crystal vases spread all over the lobby. A few of the nightshift bellboys, who were counting the minutes to finish their shift, could be seen near the reception desk could be seen counting the tips they had won over night… this made Maddie remember about Esteban, who also did the same, when Moseby was not looking around.

Looking at the huge clock that existed on the lobby, Maddie asked herself what was keeping London. It was already ten past seven, and she was nowhere to be seen.

She who wanted to wear something special on that day, had decided to ask London on the previous night if she could borrow something for her. The heiress obviously told her that her wardrobe was hers as well. Going inside, she chose a blue tank top with the Supergirl logo stamped on it, a red mini skirt and a pair of high-heel sandals. When she showed the brunette what she had chosen, London immediately teased her calling her Supergirl.

"_See you tomorrow, my Supergirl…_" –London teased Maddie, as she headed to the door.

"_See you tomorrow, Princess._" –Maddie blew her a kiss, as she closed the door behind her.

In the end, it was London who showed up late, failing to do what she had told the others. It was almost 7:15 when the elevator doors opened. London was wearing a short purple dress with a very beautiful adorned belt around her waist, a pair of blue leggings, white sandals. She was wearing her hair straight on one side, covering her right eyes, giving her a mysterious look.

She was accompanied by her mother who was holding Ivanna in her arms, but unlike Akita, who was serene and calm, the heiress looked quite stressed. You could see that she was almost in panic.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, I overslept!" –London exclaimed as she approached them. Maddie had never seen her like that before, not even when they were both late to school.

"It's okay, London, there's no biggie." –Maddie said, as she quickly placed a small peck on London's lips, trying to calm her down.

"Yes there is… we have to go!" –London said, really panicking.

"London, honey…" –Akita told her, as she placed her hands on London's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. –"Everything's okay. Just because we're a little late, that doesn't mean it's the end of the world. I know you want this to be perfect for everyone, but believe me; it will be perfect, no matter what happens, okay? I've already called for the limousines; everything is ready for our departure."

As if by magic, Akita's words calmed London, making her smile. It was amazing what just a few words said by the right person and with the right tone could do.

When Scampy, who was still half asleep saw Ivanna he began to bark at her, and Ivanna also barked back at him. They all laughed when they saw the two dogs clearly happy to see each other. You could almost say that they were the canine version of London and Maddie.

When they both finally stopped barking at each other, London grabbed Ivanna and Maddie did the same with Scampy. They all exited the hotel and got in the two limousines that were parked just outside. The vehicles were both identical, except in their colours, one being black while the other was white. London, Maddie and their moms entered the black one, while the rest of them entered the white one. As the vehicles followed through 5th Avenue, the blonde asked herself where they were heading.

"London, can't you at least tell us where were going? I feel like a lab rat inside a maze." –Maddie asked her.

"Go on, London, tell her… you can at least tell her where were going. It's not like you're going to ruin the surprise." –Akita told her daughter. She knew she wanted to surprise her girlfriend, but she felt Maddie had been tortured by her daughter, not knowing where she was being taken.

"Oh, alright… we're going to Downtown Manhattan Heliport, where there are a couple of people who are waiting for us." –London told her.

"And, who are those people?" –Maddie insisted on knowing every detail.

"Sorry, Blondie. I said I would tell you where were going… I never said about telling you who will be there or where were going after that." –London teased her once again.

"Aha! Then that means were going somewhere after we get there, which means that whatever you want to show us isn't there, and we have to get a helicopter to get there!" –Maddie exclaimed throwing those conclusions to the heiress's face, as an impish smile appeared on her face, knowing that she was absolutely right.

"Darn, you're good." –London said. –"Then again, if you weren't that good, I wouldn't have fallen in love with your intelligence." –London teased her.

"Oh, so you're telling me you fell in love with me just because of my intelligence, is that it?" –Maddie playfully asked her.

"I fell in love with you for your intelligence, your looks, your kindness, and definitely for your infinite patience and your sarcasm." –London answered her, joking about it.

The girls kept exchanging playful insults, and teasing each other about their looks, their personalities and just why they still put up with each other. Laughs and more laughs that was exactly what you heard inside that limo. As for their mothers, both Akita and Miranda stood there witnessing all that happening in silence. They did not say a word, but both women were happy for their daughters' happiness right then.

They had been apart for more than two months, and their love stood even stronger than before. If there was something that was as truth as the Earth revolving around the Sun, was that London and Maddie's love was possible because they both respected each other and because they knew that there was no one else who could match the burning passion they both had in their hearts for one another. And now, London was just about to prove to Maddie that she was the most important being in her life, by showing her something she had done, always bearing in her heart that this project was her way to show the blonde that she had been her inspiration.

Arriving at their destination, the limos stopped and their drivers quickly got out and opened the doors for them all. Even though it was a summer day, the wind was quite chilly, making them start to shatter their teeth. They were welcomed by two control workers, who were dressed in bright orange vests.

"So, now that we're here, what now?" –Maddie asked London, not seeing anyone on the heliport.

"I don't get it, they should have arrived at least half an hour ago…" –London said as she looked up to the sky, as if she was looking for something. And then, she saw it. –"… here they come!"

The heiress pointed to a black dot in the air that was closing in on them. At first, if did not look like anything, but as it got closer, everyone saw that it was a helicopter. But this was no ordinary helicopter. It was not like the ones Maddie was used to see the heiress using whenever she wanted to go from Boston to New York for a quick shopping spree. No, this one was a military aircraft, a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. Its shiny paint job made it look as if it had come out of a dream or something. Unlike most of its kind, this one had side windows, which enabled its occupants to look outside. As it approached the landing spot, its propellers started to rotate upwards, until they were on their vertical position, just as if it was a helicopter. Then, it started to descend, making the air around it spin and blow as if it they were close to a hurricane.

When the aircraft landed, the landing gear made a thud as it touched the asphalt. They all waited for the rotors to stop, before approaching it. Once they stopped, London and Akita were the first to advance towards it, followed by the rest of the group.

At the same time, the aircraft's doors opened and from inside came a group of people everyone knew. The first ones to exit were two boys, one dressed in a white and blue striped polo, light blue shorts and white sneakers, and the other dressed with a red t-shirt, white shorts and beach-sandals. They were dressed differently, but other than that, they were identical… they were Zack and Cody Martin. After them, it was their mother, Carey to exit the huge aircraft. She was dressed in a colourful green beach dress and matching sandals.

"Hey, everyone!" –Zack waved at them, as his feet touched the ground.

Then, it was time for two other friends of the girls to exit the aircraft. He was dressed with a black t-shirt with the logo of Pirates of the Caribbean stamped on it, grey shorts and black Converse All's. As for her she was wearing a purple tank top, black mini-skirt and a pair of purple sandals. They were the couple, London and Maddie considered being the cutest couple, right after them of course, and by the looks of them, they looked quite happy to be there by each other's side… they were Mark Stevenson and his girlfriend, Anastasia Fontaine.

"Hi girls!" –Anastasia waved at them, happy to see her friends, after not seeing them during those summer months.

And finally, the two last persons came out of the aircraft, and they were Mark's dad, Stephen, and Anastasia's mom, Felicia. He was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, caqui pants and black shoes, while she was wearing a yellow and orange long dress.

Seeing them all there made Maddie wonder why did London sent for them in the first place? Still, she did not mind having them there. God knew that she had missed their company, especially Zack and Cody, who made her laugh with their goofs. Looking at them, she saw that they just like London and herself were a couple of inches taller, but other than that, they were just like the last time she had seen them.

"Hey, guys, how are you?!" –Maddie asked them, as she gave them both a bear hug.

"We're okay." –Cody answered her.

"Just peachy, sweet thang." –Zack told her. –"So, are you still okay with London or can I ask you on a date?" –he asked her as he tried his best not to crack himself up.

"Yeah, I'm still with London and everything is peachy… as for that date you want, call me in about 10 years." –Maddie laughed, making Zack also laugh. –"Don't tell me you still think you have a shot?"

"Nops, but you know how old habits are… they die hard." –Zack kept laughing.

A few minutes, it was just what they needed to catch up on what they all had been doing. They explained that they experience some turbulence right after leaving Boston, and that was the reason why they were a little late. Throughout the summer they had exchanged phone calls and sent messages to one another. But there was nothing like seeing your friends in person and ask them personally how they have been.

"So, how was the West Coast?" –London asked Mark.

"It was still on the same place…" –he joked about it. –"… okay, okay, now for real, it's amazing to just travel up and down the coast, from Los Angeles to Seattle… But you know what? It's always great to be back home to be with those you really love, isn't that right, Gothie?"

"Gothie?" –Maddie asked him, not understanding why he said that.

"Yeah, Gothie, it's my nickname." –Anastasia told them.

"Oh, I get it." –Cody said.

"I gave her that nickname because no matter what happens, even if she's not dressed like a Goth girl, there's always something about her that reminds me of Goth girls." –Mark told them. –"Besides, she doesn't mind, as long as I let her call me by my nickname."

"And what is your nickname?" –Carey asked him, also curious.

"Well, it's… its top secret!" –he said, making everyone laugh.

"That one was funny! But tell me, what are you guys doing here?" –Maddie asked them, hoping they would tell her what London was really up to. –"Believe me; I love to have you all here, but…"

"Don't know, London called us a couple of days ago and told us that she had something to show us, and that she would send an aircraft to get us." –Stephen answered her.

"Yeah, and it was just the most amazing and crazy trip ever! You really got to try and fly in one of those things; it's like being in a Transformers' movie!" –Zack exclaimed, still excited about everything.

"So, you don't know what she's really up to?"

"Afraid not…" –Carey told her.

"But you will, in about thirty minutes. Come on, hop back into the aircraft, everyone!" –London told them, as she grabbed Maddie by the wrist and pulled her to her.

"You heard her, our carriage awaits us." –Akita joked about it with everyone's parents.

Entering the aircraft, they all took a seat and strapped their belts. London was the last one to take a seat, and just before she did that, she signalled to both pilots that everyone was ready for take-off. Just as she finished strapping herself to her seat, the turbines began to roar and the propellers began to flip. Soon, the aircraft took off and they all saw Manhattan being left behind, as they were taken to an unknown destination. A destination only known by the heiress and her mother, and none of them was going to reveal it until the time was right.

About 15 minutes had passed since they left Manhattan, and deadly silence had come down upon them. The only noise you could hear was the muffled sound of the aircraft's propellers outside. Not liking those long silences, London decided that it was time to cheer things up a little.

"So, are you all having fun?" –she asked deadpanned.

"Are we supposed to be having fun?" –Liam hot back at her sarcastically. Clearly sarcasm was something that ran in all the Fitzpatricks.

"For once, I'm with my brother, London. You tell us all that you have a surprise for me and that you have to show it to us all what it is, and then you drag us to a heliport, where we find out that you brought some of our best friends in this aircraft and then you tell us that we have to get into the same aircraft and fly to an unknown destination." –Maddie told her. You could hear that she was a little upset because of all that secrecy.

"You're right, and I guess you are all entitled to an explanation… especially you, Blondie." –London said. –"You remember in Jurassic Park when John Hammond takes Dr. Grant, Dr. Satler, the lawyer and that guy that is really great with numbers… can't remember his name now, but the point is, he says to the lawyer "_I bring you scientists, and you bring rock stars._", do you?"

"Did you even read Jurassic Park?" –Mark asked her.

"No, I just saw the movie." –London answered him.

"Yeah, I remember about it, but what does this have to do with us?" –Maddie asked her. –"Don't tell me that you bought an island?!" –the blonde asked her,

Time seemed to stop as everyone waited for the heiress's answer. After taking a moment to sigh, she said:

"Well, I could have bought one, but if I had, I couldn't do the things that I'm going to do with it."

"What are you talking about, London?" –Cody asked her.

"Just look outside… by my calculations you should be able to see my latest acquisition." –London giggled.

Hearing that, everyone unfastened their seatbelts and looked through the windows, trying to see what London was talking about. When they looked, they could only see the ocean until the eye could see. Looking harder, they finally saw what they thought was what the heiress had told them about. It looked like a ship, but this one was a huge ship… a cruise ship! As the aircraft closed in on it, they all saw just how big it was. Even in the endless ocean, that ship looked huge.

"OH MY GOD! YOU BOUGHT A CRUISE SHIP FOR ME?!" –Maddie exclaimed, still not believing what her eyes were seeing.

"Surprise, Maddie!" –London smiled, making Maddie jump into her arms, as she kissed her as passionately as she could.

Seeing their mistresses so happy, both Scampy and Ivanna began barking as if they were saying that they were really happy for them. No one else said a word because they were still in shock. The looks on their faces was priceless. London's mother had to concentrate really hard not to start laughing.

"So, did you like my surprise?" –London asked her, as she caught her breath.

"What do you think? Do I need to kiss you again to show you just how excited I really am?" –Maddie smiled at her. –"I still can't believe that you bought me a cruise ship!"

"Yap, I did." –London admitted.

"But wait, what's the catch?! We're not going to use that cruise ship just ourselves, or are we?" –Maddie asked her girlfriend.

"No, of course not. I'll explain it to you and everyone else what is really going on, when we land."

The minutes that preceded the landing, everyone asked the heiress all sorts of questions regarding the ship, but she kept telling them that she was not going to say a thing, until they all landed.

As they approached it, they saw just how gigantic the whole ship was. It was mostly white, with a few parts being emerald green. If one looked hard, they would be bale to see the coat of arms of the Tipton Hotels. They could not see it all, because of the trajectory angle, but if all of it was as beautiful as the sections they were able to see, then it was most likely the most beautiful and dazzling cruise ship ever since the Titanic or Queen Mary II. Plus, they all asked themselves just how the interior would look like.

When the aircraft landed, they all waited for the engines to stop before exiting; then one by one, all of them exited and the first thing they noticed was how windy it was. And it was not a simple sea breeze; it was a strong cold wind that you can experience when you are on open sea. Still, that was not enough to make them forget where they were right then. Looking around them they saw that the ship was gigantic, or better, colossal. If at first they thought this was the biggest cruise ship they had ever seen; now they were sure of it. As for the dogs, they had not even barked since they got out of the aircraft. They were most likely still adapting to the fact that they were on a ship on the middle of the ocean.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you aboard the S.S. Tipton!" –London exclaimed. –"I wanted to name it S.S. Blondie and Princess, but they told me that the name was already taken." –she said, as she looked Maddie in the eyes.

"That's okay, London. I think that S.S. Tipton is a beautiful name." –Maddie told her, as she looked around. –"It's so beautiful."

"She's right, dearie, the ship looks incredibly beautiful" –Miranda agreed with her younger daughter.

"If you all think she's beautiful on the outside, then wait until you see the inside." –London told her, as she signalled everyone to follow her.

As they climbed down the stairs that led them to the main deck, Ivanna and Scampy joined their mistresses on the head of the group. When they saw themselves on the main deck they looked around, and quickly saw that there were a few dozens of workers working on placing the wooden plaques on it, as well as polishing the parts of the deck that had already been assembled. There was a distinct smell of wooden polisher, paint and other industrial products in the air.

"As you can see it's still not finished yet. But it will be in a couple of weeks, in time for its maiden voyage. Initially it was going to be docked in Baltimore so the workers could finished its construction, but I did not want any paparazzi or reporter finding out about this before I could show it to you, so in the end, we decided to finish its construction in international waters." –London explained them. –"It cost my dad a fortune to make sure to make this part of the ocean a no-fly zone… I know this sounds a little paranoid, but believe me, there are secrets that are worth waiting, before they are revealed."

Hearing that, everyone thought that London was really being a little paranoid. She was clearly treating that ship as if it was a nuclear submarine or another top-secret government project. Still, all of them knew London, and they knew that she was many things, but not insane or crazy, so they assumed she had a good reason for doing all that.

"Anyway, you're probably wondering what this ship has to do with Maddie and you all in the first place, am I right?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah…" –Felicia said, as they followed London through a door in which you could read on a small metal plaque "Access to Atlantis Deck".

"Well, first of all, I want to talk to you about this ship. She's the biggest cruise ship ever built, and of course, the most expensive. I spared no expenses to build this baby… it cost me about 3 billion dollars to build all of this." –the heiress declared.

"3 billion dollars?!" –Cody exclaimed.

"Yes, give it or take a couple of bucks. You could almost say that this is the Crown Jewell of the Tipton Empire. Its 755 meters long and 102 wide, weighs more than 200,000 tons, it has the capacity to receive more than 12000 passengers and it can reach speeds of 32 knots per hour." –London told them all.

"If I'm not mistaken, in terms of length, this ship is more or less three times larger than Titanic, am I right?" –Stephen asked her.

"Yes, more or less, you're right." –London answered him. –"And just for the record, unlike titanic, the S.S. Tipton isn't unsinkable."

This last statement made everyone giggle, even though it was no laughing matter.

"Good, I remember the movie about it, and the infamous line "It is unsinkable. God Himself could not sink this ship!"… well, I guess God sure has a nasty sense of humour, because we all know what happened." –Mark told them.

As they headed down the stairs into the Atlantis Deck, they saw just how beautifully decorated the walls were. They were all painted in light shades of marine blue, golden brown and marine green and that was not all. They had also been sculpted in order to look like they were the walls of an ancient temple. But the most impressive sight was yet to be seen. When they finally got to the bottom of the stairs, they saw an enormous atrium that had been equally designed, built and decorated to the walls they had seen. The floor had also been created to look quite old, making that whole deck look like a scenery from an Indiana Jones movie or a Tomb Raider videogame. Just like the main deck it was still unfinished, and the proof of it was there were still parts of this deck still in need to be painted… plus, there were dozens of workers scattered around, working as fast as they could to finish it.

"_Far out!_" –Liam thought to himself.

"_When London decides to do something, she clearly does it with style, and doesn't look at expenses to achieve it…_" –Anastasia thought to herself.

"Every deck has been designed with a unique design, which means there are no two decks that look the same on this ship. This one is Deck B, but we call it the Atlantis Deck. Deck A, which is located one level above us is called the Neptune Deck and you can all imagine it has a very different look from this one." –London explained. –"That way, it will also be impossible for a person to get lost in this place, because every deck will be easily recognized." –the heiress declared proud of herself.

"_I find that a little hard, given the size of this place. It's like a floating city._" –Gennie thought to herself.

"It really looks amazing. I feel like we're in what used to be Atlantis." –Felicia said, as she pointed out the details on the walls and on the celling to her daughter, who like her was amazed by what she was seeing.

"Believe me, every single deck is unique and there are all kinds of places you can visit. The ship has gyms, discos, night clubs, casinos, countless restaurants and stores, cinemas, theatres, a zoo, an aquarium, a botanical garden, a stadium, swimming pools, bowling alleys, libraries, video arcades, and of course, it also has an opera house!" –London stated. It was clear to everyone that that ship had really everything a person would want or need.

All of that was amazing, Maddie had to admit. Her girlfriend had outdone herself this time. She never really expected London to come up with such a thing. At first look, the ship looked like the 8th wonder of the world, and it was most likely that. Still, questions were forming on the back of her head; the one most important being why had she bought the ship? Still, there was something else she had not reveal them yet.

"London, I have a question… this looks amazingly beautiful, but you're not telling us the whole story, are you?" –Maddie asked her, as an impish smile appeared on her face. –"There's something else about this ship, isn't it? That's why you called us here in the first place, right?"

"Okay, you got me…" –London admitted. –"… there really is another reason why I bought this ship, and I'll show it to you all. But to do that, we need to get down to the deck below us, the Caribbean Deck; follow me please."

Following London, they all took one of the elevators to the Caribbean Deck. When the doors opened they could not believe their own eyes. That deck had been completely built to looks as if they were on a real island on the Bahamas or the Caribbean; from the walls that seemed to have been completely quilted with a giant holographic screen which displayed a beautiful blue sky with seagulls flying in circles. In fact, they could even hear the seagulls. They all assumed that the deck was equipped with a powerful surround sound system which let them all hear all kinds of noises you would hear when on a beach. The floor itself was paved to look like sand. But the thing that had caught their attention immediately was the unfinished yet colossal and spectacular world globe that had been built in the middle of the lobby where they were now. Even though it still had to be finished, you could definitely picture how it would look like when it was finished. It was a perfect duplicate of the Earth. Looking at it, they could not find anything that you would say it was wrong about it. The only thing they felt it was strange was a red line that kept glowing and it travelled all around the globe.

"Oops, I completely forgot that they hadn't finished this lobby." –London said, as she tried not to step on anything that was lying on the floor.

"It's okay." –Cody said, as he also tried not to step on anything.

"This deck as you can see it it's all about the Caribbean… it will also have a section which will be inspired on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. I had to pay a small fortune to Disney for the rights to do that, you know?"

"If all the decks look this cool, I would never want to get out of this ship!" –Zack exclaimed.

"You and me…" –Mark agreed with Zack.

"Well, what do you think? This here is the main reason why I called you here and also the reason, why I bought this ship." –London stated.

"I don't think we're following you, sweetie." –Carey told her,

"Uh… do you want to rule the world by using this ship?" –Zack asked her. Only he would even come up with a question as crazy as that one.

"No! The line! The glowing line around the globe! It's the itinerary of the cruise that I spent most of the summer coming up with!" –the heiress pointed to the red dotted line, which kept glowing. –"I want you to come with me on this cruise!"


	4. The Decision

**Chapter 4: The Decision**

As she finished saying those, everyone was caught by surprise… all, except Akita, who already knew of her daughter's plan. Looking at them, she immediately knew that London had managed to get their attention and then some. Not even for a second did she ever considered the possibility of that not happening.

"Could you repeat what you just said, London?" –Anastasia asked her, to see if she had listened to her correctly.

"I said I want you all to come with me on this cruise." –London repeated herself.

"But, what cruise are you talking about?" –Cody asked her.

"Oh, the First Annual Tipton Cruise entitled "Seven Seas Cruise"." –London said. –"This ship's maiden voyage will be a cruise around the world, stopping on the most important ports in the world, and I would love to have you all in it."

"Okay, now I'm confused…" –Carey said.

"You're inviting us to take cruise around the world?" –Maddie asked London. The blonde did not know how to react to that; she did not know if she should kiss the heiress or slap her on the face.

"For the umpteenth time, yes, Maddie, I am." –London waved her head, stating the obvious.

She then pointed out to the globe, where you could see the red line on it being the route the ship would take, once it set sail from New York City.

"The route has already been set and as you can see it's quite big. Will visit the following cities… New York… Dublin… Edinburgh… Amsterdam… Southampton… Lisbon… Fez… Barcelona… Rome… Venice… Vlorë… Athens… the island of Sorunlari… Istanbul… Cairo… Dubai… Madagascar… Mumbai… Kolkata... Kuala Lumpur… Macau… Hong Kong… Tokyo… Sydney… Antarctica… Easter Island… Honolulu…Los Angeles… Acapulco… Lima… Buenos Aires… Rio de Janeiro… Havana… Miami… and finally, will be back to New York. It will be quite the trip, right?"

The destinations were some of the most beautiful and incredible cities in the world. London had really come up with a set of destinations that not only were beautiful, but were also filled with rich History. Still, that was not enough to keep Maddie from telling her girlfriend something she felt it was vital in all that process.

"Huh, London, I don't want to rain on your parade, but Princess, we can't go on a cruise around the world… school will start in a few weeks." –Maddie told her, feeling that she might have forgotten about the fact that they all had to attend school, and that the adults all had jobs.

"You don't have to worry about school, Maddie. We can go to school here." –London declared, not making much sense. Maddie immediately thought that the heiress was talking about the two of them, and the rest of their friends to be home-schooled, like it happened to some kids and teenagers. But if there was one thing Maddie had always told herself, was that she liked school and liked to be around with other kids her age, so she did not turn into a social outcast.

"London, if you're even suggesting the idea of being home-schooled…" –Maddie started, when she was interrupted by London.

"No, no, no, no… I'm not talking about that Maddie." –London told her, waving her head. She had clearly not even thought about or considered that option it seemed.

"Then, how do you want us to go to school so we can learn anything?" –Cody asked her.

"She probably thinks we can all get a helicopter which will take us to school every morning, wherever we are." –Anastasia joked about it, whispering it to Mark's ear.

"Like I said, we can all go to school here, in this ship… we just need to go three decks down." –London said, confusing them all even more. –"Come on, I'll show it to you."

"I wonder what this girl is up to now." –Stephen asked himself, as he followed the rest of group, as they entered the elevator.

With everyone aboard the elevator, London pushed the button to the F-Deck, where you could read Athena Deck. Knowing his History and Mythology, Cody knew that Athena was the Greek Goddess of Knowledge, Wisdom and Courage, so he immediately assumed that whatever was in that deck had to do with

As the doors opened they were baffled with something they were not expecting. The immense lobby, as well as the whole deck where they were now was a two-story deck had been decorated to look like a school lobby. Still, it did not look like an ordinary school lobby. This one looked more like the lobby of a college or the lobby of a fairy-tale palace. A magnificent marble staircase gave access to the upper deck, while on the downwards deck, two corridors led to the rest of the deck. The walls were marble white, while the Doric columns that seemingly supported the ceiling, were spread evenly were made out of blue rock-crystal, having been marvellously polished after being sculpted with maritime motifs, like seashells, corals, fishes and waves in it. You could see multiple bronze and marble busts of what they assumed to be Greek philosophers, next to the columns.

As for the ceiling, this one was beautiful and ostentatious. In it, you could see multiple constellations carved, making it similar in a few ways to the magnificent ceiling of the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The beautiful silver linings contrasted wonderfully with the light-blue background, where you could see multiple constellations, with their names both in Latin and English written beneath them.

The floor was crystal white, where you could see multiple medieval representations of sea creatures and sea monsters imprinted on it in navy blue. They also noticed that at the centre of the lobby, imprinted on the floor was a beautiful coat of arms, similar in many ways to the coat of arms of the Tipton, but also incredibly different. This one had various tones of blue, from navy blue to aquamarine blue. It had a few nautical elements in it, such as an anchor, a bell and a wheel. A delicate stripe surrounded it, where you could read "Achieving Success and Excellence Together.", and just above it was something else written: "Tipton's High Seas School". Plus, unlike the rest of the decks they had visited, so far, this one seemed to be the only one that was absolutely finished.

"I welcome you to Tipton's High Seas School! The most advanced and well equipped school in the world."

"A school?" –Zack asked. –"_Just when I thought things were getting good, she comes and shows me this…_" –he thought to himself, clearly upset, for he thought that he was going to get rid of school while attending that cruise.

"Okay, I wasn't expecting this." –Carey said.

"If you thought we were going to skip school or being home-schooled, well think again, everyone. This is the real heart and core of this whole cruise. I made sure that this was the first section of the ship to be completed, no matter what happened." –London told them. –"Come, I'll explain everything as we take a closer look to this place."

Following the heiress, they all took their time to appreciate the beauty of everything that surrounded them. More and more they all considered that cruise ship not to be just a ship, but a magnificent work of art. Climbing the staircase, they made their way into the depths of that beautiful deck. Just like the lobby, the corridors were similarly decorated. The only thing that changed was the ceiling that was white and the floor, which was absolutely blue.

"Like I was saying, this double deck is the heart and core of this cruise. I can't exactly remember if I already said this, but I'll say it again… this cruise is not just a cruise around the world. It's also my way to create a new kind of teaching." –London said, as she closed in to Maddie, who smiled at her. –"Maddie here knows that I've never been really good in classes, and if it wasn't for her help, I would have probably flunked every class I attended until now. So, I started to ask myself, why can't I be as smart as her? That's when it hit me… because I usually tend to get bored by teachers always explaining things that I can't see with my own eyes. I made a little research and found out that I'm not the only one who thinks that. So, I decided to create a new way to teach people, and that is exactly what you're seeing here. This school, will go to different places in the world, where the students will be able to experience first-hand certain things that we only read in books, visit monuments and cities… in sum, having the opportunity to learn better and faster, while having fun."

Madeline was surprised by what she had heard. She had once told herself that London was smart in her own way, and that it was on school that she struggled to stay afloat. It seemed she had found a way to make it easier for her to learn… for her and for others.

"In here, it's where the magic starts…" –she said as she opened one of the corridor doors.

As the door opened, they all saw a really well equipped classroom, the kind of which any teacher in the world dreams about. She sure had not looked at any expenses. You could say that that classroom and the rest of them in that ship were the most well equipped classrooms in the world.

"… The classes are all equipped with computers and laptops, one for each student, and they will be linked to the Internet and to a common software program, where teachers will be able to storage all kinds of documents, so that anyone can read them and download them. Plus, all students will have four huge libraries to visit in order to check and find books to help them." –London explained them.

All of what she had just told them was just too much for them to process in just a few seconds. Even Cody, who considered himself to be one of the top students of Cheevers Middle and High School felt that he had not understand everything London had said.

"So, in other words, you created a school for people to attend to, while they travel around the world." –Felicia commented.

"Yap, pretty much."

"But, who will be these students you're always talking about exactly, London?" –Anastasia asked her.

"Well, they will be us, a good part of the students from our school, and then, we will also have students that have been handpicked from schools all over the country, not to mention that there will also be a few foreign exchange students." –she told her. –"Believe me, I wouldn't have built this school just for me and Maddie and the rest of you guys."

This was all absolutely perfect, but neither Liam nor Genevieve was exactly into it. They had not yet told anything, but they did not see themselves embarking on a cruise, and studying aboard that ship. Doing that would mean being away from their friends, and on Genevieve's case, away from her boyfriend. Still, they would wait for the right moment to say what they thought.

"I got to handle it to you, this really is amazing." –Mark said, as her imagined the whole place cramming with students.

"That's exactly what I told her as she came up with this entire project, but she was always saying that it was not good enough, and that it was going to stink…" –Akita said, as she caressed her daughter's pretty face. –"… she's got more talent than she thinks, but sometimes, she just can't see it."

"I tell her the same thing…" –Maddie agreed, as she placed a peck on London's lips. –"If she wants to do something, and she puts her mind to it, she can accomplish anything, no matter how crazy that thing is."

"Blondie, don't say that, you're making me blush…" –London giggled, trying not to blush from all those compliments.

"I'm only saying the truth." –Maddie told her, always with a cute smile on her face.

"And when can we be expecting this cruise to start?" –Irving interrupted the girls.

"Oh, in a couple of weeks, on September 15th, and as for how long the cruise will take, it will take about 10 months, give it or take a couple of days." –London said. –"But, I'll explain all that during breakfast. I don't know about you all, but I haven't eaten a single bite today." –London joked about it.

The truth was that excluding the Martin twins and their mother Carey, none of them had had breakfast on that morning. Following the heiress once more, they returned to the main deck, to a section of it that was already completed, where a buffet had been assembled for them all, and the food was anything but normal.

Displayed in front of them were hamburgers, pizzas with every kind of ingredients and toppings on them, finger sandwiches, meatloaf with potatoes, French Fries, roast beef, pork chops with rice, rice pudding, veal with mashed potatoes, cauliflower and carrots, potato salad, among many other things, plus there were a few of exotic dishes like Norwegian salmon with boiled quail eggs, braised pineapple stuffed with peanuts and chestnuts, Russian caviar, fried Indonesian calamari, spinach and gouda quiche, melon with Italian prosciutto, among many other dishes. On the table there was also glass jars filled with milk, orange, mango, papaya and pineapple juice and ice tea. You could say that that buffet was not a breakfast buffet, but a buffet intended for a lunch or a dinner. Still, no one said a thing. Like always, London had planned things with great pomp and circumstance; still no one complained… it was just her way to do things.

Zack and Cody were the first ones to attack that immense buffet. Grabbing each a slice of pizza and two hamburgers each, they immediately started to eat them as if they had not eaten in days.

"Boys, chew your food…" –Carey told them. –"Especially you, Zack! You're eating like a slob."

"I'm not a slob…" –Zack told his mother, as he gulped down the slice of pizza he was eating. –"… I'm just hungry."

Little by little, the rest of the group joined them in that buffet. For a few minutes the only sound you could hear was the sound of people praising just how good the food was. Some of them even decided to take their plates with them and sat on the lounge chairs that had already been placed there.

Both Maddie and London put a little bit of everything on a plate and gave it to Ivanna and Scampy, who immediately began to eat it. The girls smiled seeing their dogs as happy as they were right then.

The wind that was felt when they arrived had been reduced to nothing but a breeze now, and that made lying on those chairs feel like they were already on that cruise London was talking about.

"You know, if London really is determined to have her way with this, I guess I could get used to live in a cruise ship. What about you?" –Anastasia asked her boyfriend, as she ate another bite of the delicious potato salad.

"I guess I could also get used to this… I mean, I already lived in a tent, in a cabana, and even in a tipi, a cruise ship would be like being back at the Tipton in Boston, except that I would be surrounded by water, 24/7." –Mark joked, as he finished cheese sandwich.

"You aren't the only one… I still can't believe that she's going to take us on a cruise around the world." –Anastasia said.

After all of them had eaten, Carey decided to take a moment to talk with London about her idea of taking them all in that cruise.

"London, sweetie, I know you meant us well when you thought about all this, but I'm afraid I can't embark on this journey. I need to work, and I just can't let the boys come alone."

"Oh, you're worried about that. Well, don't you worry about it, Carey, I was only going to tell you this a little later, but you won't be working at the Boston Tipton for the next 10 months. You'll be working here, on the cruise ship."

"Say what?!" –Carey exclaimed, puzzled about it.

"That's right; this will be your new home and working place, Carey. You'll have the same schedule you have now, a raise and your own private showroom." –London smiled at her. –"And you won't be the only one to come and work here. Arwin, Esteban, Muriel, Millicent and Moseby have also been transferred to the cruise ship. We're going to need some of the best to work here, and you are definitely the best at what you do."

"Oh, London, I'm not that good… I mean, I know I have a good voice, but there are plenty of singers out there who can sing ten times better than me." –Carey said, trying to be modest about it. Her voice had always been her pride and joy, other than her sons, but she did not want people to know that. Plus, right then she was trying not to sound like she was about to burst with joy.

"Maybe, but none of them are the mother of two of my best friends. Plus, I like to hear you sing." –London giggled.

"Oh, London, I don't know what to say." –Carey said, as she gave the heiress a big hug, trying not to cry because of all that happiness.

"Maybe you should also tell the others about what you plan to do for them to accompany us, darling." –Akita approached them, having been hearing the conversation between her daughter and the twins' mom.

Following her mom's suggestion, London told everyone to gather around her. When she saw that everyone was there, she began explain how she was going to make sure that they could all embark on that journey around the world. She said that all of the adults would be paid the triple of their annual salary, and that she had managed to come up with deals with their bosses, so as to when they came back, they would have their jobs waiting for them.

Still, even though she had had all that trouble to make sure everything worked out, Miranda and Irving Fitzpatrick had had already took a decision… they were not going. While they were eating, they talked about what London had showed them and if they should really accompany them on that voyage. In the end, and after pondering about it, they had decided they would not go, but they would not prevent their children from making the trip.

"But why?" –London asked them, not understanding why they were not going to accept that offer.

"London, honey, you need to understand, we would love to do such a voyage with you, but, we can't just leave our jobs in Boston. How would our colleagues at work feel if we let go of everything and then came back one year later, as if nothing had happened? It wouldn't be fair for them, especially given our country's current economy." –Miranda told her. –"If this voyage was for only a couple of weeks, we would be delighted to accept it, but a whole year?"

"That is simply too much for us. We both have responsibilities to our jobs… Besides, grandma there prefers to go back to Boston, and we can't just leave her alone, can we?" –Irving said, pointing out to Grandma Fitzpatrick, and then turned to his children. –"But, there's no reason for Gennie, Liam and Maddie shouldn't accompany you. If you wish to go on this voyage, you'll have our full support."

Hearing that, Maddie felt something piercing her heart. She was happy for making that journey, but she thought that she would be making it with her whole family. She asked herself why her brothers and herself had not been included on that discussion… after all, they were a family and decisions like those should be taken as a family, at least she thought. Still, she understood their reasons, and why they could not accept London's offer. Plus, having her brother and sister by her side with her would be good.

But then, something else happened that the stroke her right in the chest.

"Actually, I also can't accept it." –Genevieve declared.

"And me neither…" –Liam said, a little surprised by his sister Gennie decision.

This time it did not feel like her heart had been punctured by a glass shard. It fell more like it had been sliced into two. She wanted to say something, but her tongue did not obey to her commands. She had frozen right there with her siblings' words.

"But why not?" –Miranda asked them both. –"This is a once in a life time opportunity."

"I know mom, but I just can't leave college like that… and more importantly, I can't leave. If I did Jeffrey would get a new girlfriend!" –Genevieve answered her. Clearly, she was more worried about her love life than college.

"What about you, Liam? Why don't you want to go on this trip?"

"Well… mostly it's because I don't want to leave my friends back in Boston. I mean, I know it sounds like a lame excuse, but if Gennie says that she has to stay because of college and her boyfriend and that's a pretty good excuse, why should mine be less valid?"

"Nobody said it was less valid, Liam." –Irving told him. -"Still, I think that you both don't go, you'll be walking away from something you might never be able to experience again in your lives."

"Of course, we can't force you to go on this cruise, but the decision is up to you." –Miranda told them. Secretly she really wanted all her three children to go on this voyage.

The words from both Miranda and Irving echoed in the consciences of both Liam and Genevieve. They were right about telling them they should take that trip, but they were also right about the part where they told them that they could not force them to do something they did not want to do. Taking a moment to reflect on what they had just been told, and what they really thought about it, they both came to a conclusion.

"Mom… dad… I know you want us to go on this trip because it will be good for us to know different places, different cultures and different people, but… like you once said, we need to know our priorities and my priority is college and Jeffrey." –Genevieve told both her parents.

Liam took a couple more seconds to think about what he was going to answer.

"The same thing goes for me. I admit it, this place is amazing, and I'll probably never have a chance to go around the world like this one again, but, I'll be honest, going around the world without your best buddies or without you two, which is something you should share, it's not that fun. I rather stay in Boston, where I can see my friends every day and being with you." –Liam told them, being truth about the fact that he would miss his parents.

Hearing this, Maddie felt like she had been betrayed by her own family. No one was coming with them on that amazing trip, and that just felt wrong to her. Storming out of there, tears began to roll down her face as Maddie kept running, leaving everyone to ask themselves what had just happened. All she was feeling right then, was just too much for anyone to take, and she did not want anyone seeing her crying.

Puzzled about what happened, asked themselves why did the blonde ran away.

"What happened?" –Zack asked, after seeing Maddie storming off like that.

"I don't know…" –Cody told his brother. Just like his brother, he had been busy looking around the main deck to even noticing the small discussion between the Fitzpatricks.

As for the group who had been listening to the Fitzpatricks, almost immediately felt that the reason why she had stormed off like that had because of what they had been talking about.

"Do you think it was because of what we're talking about?" –Irving asked the rest of his family.

"Maybe…" –Genevieve agreed.

"I think someone should go and talk with her." –Akita said.

"I'll go talk with her." –Miranda said.

"No… I think I should be the one to talk with her." –London declared. –"I think that right now she doesn't want to talk with any of you." –the heiress told them. Something told her that Maddie's family had unintentionally hurt her, and right then she needed to talk with someone who did not share any blood links with her. –"Give me 10 minutes to look for her and talk with her."

Saying that, London quickly followed on the direction Maddie had run off. She told herself that Maddie could not have gone far, because there were workers still assembling the main deck, blocking the path to anyone who tried to cross onto sections that were still unsafe and unprepared to receive people.

It only took her a couple of minutes to find Maddie. The blonde was seated on one of the many benches that had been assembled on the main deck, crouching with her hands on her face. London immediately assumed that she was crying, and as she closed in on her, she heard her sobbing.

Closing in on her really gently so as not to scare her, London sat right next to her. For a brief second she asked herself what she should ask the blonde; she did not want to upset her or make her cry even more.

"Uh… Maddie, are you alright?" –London asked her. –"_Damn it! What kind of question is that? Of course she isn't alright, otherwise she wouldn't be crying, you idiot!_" –she thought, cursing herself for asking her that question.

Maddie did not say a word immediately; she just kept crying and sobbing, so London decided to give her some time before asking her another question.

Finally, the blonde stopped crying and took a deep breath, just before removing her hands from her face. Her make-up was all smudged around her eyes and her eyes were all red. Still, to London's eyes, even when she cried, Maddie looked beautiful.

"It's not fair…" –Maddie said.

"What's not fair, Blondie?" –London asked her, trying to understand the reason why she was crying in the first place.

"It's not fair… it's… (sob)… not fair that you had all that work trying… (sob)… to make it possible… (sob)… for them to come….(sob)… with us on this trip, and now… (sob)… they just say that they're not coming!" –Maddie said, as the tears kept rolling down her face. Judging by the tone of the voice, she was not just sad, she was mad, if not furious about her parents and her siblings.

As she finished saying that, Maddie buried her face on her hands again, and began to cry once more. Seeing her like that, London gathered the sobbing girl in her arms, holding her tight, gently rocking her. As she did it, Maddie's words echoed in her head… London immediately understood that she was crying not because she was mad or furious about the decision of everyone in her family to not do that trip, she was sad because thought she would have them nearby to experience something as exciting as that trip.

"There, Maddie, there… everything is going to be alright." –London told her.

"No… (sob)… it won't… (sob)…" –Maddie sobbed.

She waited for Madeline to stop crying before saying anything else. By now she knew that crying was sometimes the best thing to do. Letting out all of the bad feelings was something everyone should do when they were feeling angry, sad, alone or scared… it somehow helped people to gain courage or to face what was in front of them with a new perspective.

Finally, when she stopped crying, she handed her a handkerchief and then looked her in the eyes and said.

"Maddie… I don't want to tell you this, but… I think you're being a little selfish." –London finally told her. She did not like to say things like that to Maddie, but it was the truth. She was only thinking about herself.

Upon hearing this Maddie felt annoyed and upset by what she had heard coming out of London's mouth, but did not say a word. She wanted to hear what else London had to say to her.

"I'm really sorry about what I just told you, but it's the truth… I know you wanted to have your family right next to you as we circle the globe on this ship, but have you thought that their reasons aren't selfish, and that you are the one being selfish? Your parents want to stay is Boston because they feel that they have an obligation to their work and to the people who work with them. They don't want other people to think that just because their younger daughter is dating a one of the richest girls in the world they'll take advantage of it. As for your sister, she's choosing to stay in Boston because of her boyfriend… because of the one she loves. Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same if you were in her shoes? And as for your little brother, he doesn't want to go because he fears he will miss both your parents and his friends." –London told her with the sweet, yet serious voice. –"I know you're thinking that they're being selfish, but if they were selfish, they wouldn't even let you come with us; they would just force you to go with them back to Boston. You're the one who has told me that sometimes we can't have things our way, but that doesn't mean that's something bad… It just means that we have to be strong."

London's words hit Maddie right in the core of her conscience. The brunette was right about calling her selfish… she was really just thinking about herself, and had forgotten about what the others thought. On that moment, a sense of shame fell upon her heart. Jealousy had taken the best of her and clouded her judgment, and now she was feeling awful about it.

Sobbing a little more she buried her face on London's chest, this time crying because of the shame for her thoughts. London just hugged her as tightly as she could, kissing her hair and whispering soft and tender words to her ears.

"There, Maddie, my sweet bumblebee, there… everything's alright, everything's alright." –London whispered to her, trying not cry too. If she would had start crying, it would make Maddie feel even bluer, and that was her last wish right then. She just kept whispering tender words and combing her beautiful golden hair with her fingers.

When her tears ceased, she lift her head up, looked London in the eyes and kissed her. It was a simple kiss; their tongues meeting for just a brief second. It had not been like the passionate kisses they shared when they were making love or when they felt they needed to show just how much they meant to each other… it had been a kiss of friendship, the simplest kind of love one could nurture for anyone. Still, regardless of looking like a simple kiss, it was a kind of kiss only true friends could give to one another.

"Thanks, Princess." –Maddie smiled at the Asian-beauty, as she hugged her with all strength. –"Thanks for reminding me, that there's more than just my will. I'm glad I have you by my side in these situations." –she gave her a playful kiss on London's nose.

"Well, I had an awesome teacher, you know?" –London chuckled about it. –"But seriously, are you okay? I don't want my special girl to feel like something is wrong."

"I'm fine, Princess, I'm fine." –Maddie assured her. –"I guess I just needed to take that out my system, and well, I'll need to get used to the idea that I'm going to do this trip alone, without my family."

"Well, you might not have your family around you, but believe me when I say that you won't be alone, because I'll be here and the rest of the gang too. Believe me; you'll be having so much fun you won't even have the time to remember they aren't around." –London tried to ease the situation. –"Besides, I'll make sure they come to visit us during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, and of course your birthday, silly. Wherever this ship is on the globe, I promise you that they will be here to celebrate those days with you."

"You really have a heart of the purest gold, London." –Maddie said, as she kissed her, this time making sure that left the heiress breathless before breaking the kiss.

"Whoa… now that was kiss…" –London said, as she regained her breath, always with a smile on her face. It was obvious that she loved when Maddie kissed her like that. –"But don't forget that besides being made of gold, it also has a really, really big diamond encrusted on it."

"Okay, okay, with a very, very big diamond encrusted on it, silly." –Maddie cajoled, planting another peck on London's lips.

"Thanks, Blondie…. Well, now that you're feeling better, we're going to straight up these clothes, clean this smudged make-up and put on one of those big smiles that I love in you, and we're going back there and tell that everything is okay." –London said, as she began to remove all traces of smudged make-up of Maddie's face.

In a matter of seconds, Maddie was as good as new. Looking at her, no one would even think that she had been crying earlier. Smiling at her, London grabbed her hand and they both started walking back to where the rest of the group was.

The first ones to greet the girls were Ivanna and Scampy who ran towards them and began to yap eagerly, happy to see their owners. The girls both pick them up, and held them in their arms, as they approached the rest of the group.

"Sorry about that… I guess I was just feeling a little bit emotional." –Maddie apologized to everyone.

"Maddie, baby-girl, are you sure you're fine?" –Irving asked his daughter, worried that something might be wrong with her.

"Yap, I'm sure. I'm alright, dad." –Maddie accented. –"I'm just really excited to go on this trip. Too bad you won't be coming, though."

"Yes, about that…"

"Don't worry about it. I understand why you won't come. Like grandma says, we all have to follow our own path. You have to follow yours, and I have to follow mine." –Maddie told them with such an adult attitude that surprised London. The heiress, who had moments earlier seen the blonde cursing the fact her family was not coming with her, was amazed by how quickly she had put everything regarding that matter behind her back. –"But believe me when I say that you won't get rid of me that easily. I'll still call you every day and I want you in this ship visiting me during my birthday and the holidays." –she told them; this time with a more carefree voice… the kind of voice it characterized her.

Hearing her say that, every member of the Fitzpatrick family hugged her at the same time, making her laugh and giggle from all that affection. It was obvious that they were all happy for Maddie.

Looking at them all, London felt that now, more than ever, that trip around the world was the greatest present she could give to all her friends, and more importantly, to the girl she loved with all her heart and soul.


	5. Ellis Island

**Chapter 5: Ellis Island**

The visit to the S.S. Tipton had made everyone in the gang eager for the day of their departure, of what would be their greatest adventure yet.

The Martins, as well as the Stevens and the Fontaines all went back to Boston to get things ready for their newest adventure, intending to come back to New York a week later. They had so many things to take care of like making sure they had everything they needed for their 10 month trip around the world. They would need to see what clothes they would take, what objects, like books and laptops they would take with them and of course, seeing if everything was alright with their passports.

As for the Fitzpatricks, they stayed in New York, wanting to spend as much time as they could with Maddie, given they would not be seeing her every day for a very long time. London told Maddie to take them to visit the town, because it would give them a reason to enjoy themselves while staying there; it would not make sense to just have them spending their time in the hotel, when they had an entire city filled with landmarks, museums and other places to visit.

On the first days, London did not accompany them. She said that she needed to take care of a couple of more things regarding the cruise. That said, she spent most of her time on the phone, talking and discussing with countless people. The only times she would let go of the phone was for her morning jog on Central Park, accompanied by Maddie, who saw that as an opportunity to be alone with the heiress, even if it was just for an hour.

During their morning jog, the blonde tried her best to know exactly what London was cooking up on the cruise ship, but the heiress told her that was nothing important, stating that it were just a last minute stuff regarding the decorating works on the ship, or a trial regarding the speed of the engines on open sea.

"It's just one of those thingies that you don't need to worry about, but everyone tells you it's important." –London told her constantly.

Maddie said nothing, but she knew London was not telling her the whole truth… there was something more she was up to; she could see on the Asian beauty's eyes. She should know; she was a pro when it came to read London. Still, instead of insisting on the matter, the blonde decided not to think about the subject. If London was really up to something, she would tell her sooner or later.

A week and a half later, Zack and Cody, as well as the rest of the gang all came back to New York. Checking in on the New York's Tipton, they would stay there until the day of the ship's departure. With them, also came Zack and Cody's sweet hearts, Max and Barbara, who just like the rest, had also been invited to go on the cruise and attend the Tipton High Sea's School. Just like their boyfriends, they were also extremely excited about the whole thing, especially Max who had never thought that one day she would ever get the opportunity to make a cruise around the world.

Needless to say that Zack, Cody, Barbara and Max kept fantasizing about all the places they would see and the people they would meet on that trip, and the same could be said for Mark and Anastasia, who had already, came up with plans of their own, of what they were planning to do during that trip. As for the grown-ups, they were also excited to go on that trip, even if they did not show it as clearly as the twins and the others.

In order to help them calm their enthusiasm regarding the trip, London took Maddie shopping for a whole new wardrobe, accompanied by the others. Along with Anastasia they would enter a shop and spend a whole afternoon in it, trying on everything, from the shirts to the skirts, not mention the shoes, the gloves, the scarves, the hats and many other things.

"Look at this shirt!" –London showed the girls, holding the beautiful baby-blue and white short-sleeved shirt on her hands. –"Isn't it the cutest thing ever?!"

"It really is pretty… but this here beats it, Princess." –Maddie told her with a grin on her face, as she showed them a pink wool sweater with a smiley on it.

"It looks good, but this one here blows yours into smithereens." –Anastasia told them, as she showed them a black t-shirt with an image of Twilight Sparkle from _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_ stamped on it.

"No fair! It's illegal to show clothes with cute cartoon characters!" –London told her, always with a smile on her face, making both Maddie and Anastasia to laugh.

As the girls kept seeing what were the cutest and best clothes in that shop, one of Barbara's favourite songs began to play on the shop's speakers, _All That She Wants_ from Ace of Base.

_She leads a lonely life  
She leads a lonely life_

"Oh my! I just love this song!" –Anastasia exclaimed.

"No way, I thought I was the one who loved the 80's in this group!" –Maddie exclaimed, a little surprised by Anastasia fondness of that song. The blonde knew that she fancied many kinds of music, but she had always thought that her musical tastes were a little more turned to alternative, dark rock and metal. Not in a million years would have she thought that this spiffy song would be among her favourites.

"Challenge you to sing it with me… if you think you can keep up with me!" –Anastasia challenged Maddie right there.

"This was my cell phone ringtone for almost a year. I know this song's lyrics as the palm of my hand… you're on!" –Maddie said, accepting the challenge, starting to sing right that moment.

_When she woke up late in the morning light  
And the day had just begun  
She opened up her eyes and thought  
Oh what a morning  
It's not a day for work  
It's a day for catching tan  
Just lying on the beach and having fun  
She's going to get you_

"The only thing that we need now is someone with a camera to start filming you." –London told them both, giggling.

"Come on, London! Sing it too!" –Anastasia also challenged her.

"Forget it!" –she shot at them. –"You're not getting me to sing this song."

"Come on, London… you're not going to stay there watching singing this and having fun, are you?" –Anastasia asked her.

"Leave her, Anastasia, London is too good and too important to be seen singing a song she doesn't like in public…" –Maddie playfully teased about her girlfriend, obviously trying to get her to join them.

"Oh, am I? I'll show you who's too important!" –London shot back at them, giggling, joining them.

_All that she wants is another baby  
She's gone tomorrow boy  
All that she wants is another baby  
All that she wants is another baby  
She's gone tomorrow boy  
All that she wants is another baby  
All that she wants - all that she wants_

So if you are in sight and the day is right  
She's the hunter you're the fox  
The gentle voice that talks to you won't talk forever  
It is a night for passion  
But the morning means goodbye  
Beware of what is flashing in her eyes  
She's going to get you

For someone who did not want to sing the song, London really sang it like a professional. In fact, Maddie knew that she knew the lyrics and that she had the voice to sing it, after all, it had been Maddie herself who had taught her how to sing properly, something the heiress always had wanted to, but had never had the proper teacher to show her how to carry a tune, much less to sing.

"_London progressed so much in so little… she always had a wonderful voice, but was a disaster when it came to sing. Sure, there were a couple of songs she could sing without her voice betraying her, but that was it. Now, she can sing just about anything, without hesitating… I'm really proud of her._" –Maddie thought to herself, proud of London's musical accomplishments, but also of her own skills as a teacher, as she looked at London, who kept singing.

_All that she wants is another baby  
She's gone tomorrow boy  
All that she wants is another baby  
All that she wants is another baby  
She's gone tomorrow boy  
All that she wants is another baby_

All that she wants is another baby  
She's gone tomorrow boy  
All that she wants is another baby  
All that she wants is another baby  
She's gone tomorrow boy  
All that she wants is another baby  
All that she wants - all that she wants

When the song finally ended, the three girls kept humming it for a couple of more seconds, and then started to laugh about it.

"So, who's too important to sing that song?" –London asked Maddie.

Instead of answering her, Maddie just approached London, placed her hands around her neck and pulled her into a kiss, which lasted more than just a couple of seconds. When their broke the kiss, the blonde smiled and told her:

"You are… but even being as important as you are, you still sang it."

"You girls are impossible…" –Anastasia told them, as they all started to laugh once again.

As for the rest of the gang, while waiting for the girls to make all of their shopping, decided to buy a couple of things for themselves too. Dividing themselves into two groups, Cody, Barbara and Mark entered in all the bookshops that existed in that shopping mall, while Zack, accompanied by Max paid a little visit to a sports shop.

While inside one of the bookshops, Both Cody and Barbara had found a few books they had wanted to buy for some time, while Mark grabbed all the foreign novels he could lay his hands on. He intended to read them all, in order to also practice his knowledge of other languages, something he felt would come in handy during their trip.

"Look at this… Tolstoy, Dumas, Aristotle, Socrates… all of them for half the price." –Cody said, as he grabbed one of each.

"Who says culture can't be cheap, really needs to check out the prices on these books." –Barbara told Cody.

"I see that you have found something you like. Still, I bet that most of those books will exist in one of the ship's libraries so you can check them out. You should buy something that will most likely not exist in it."

"Like what? Comic books or graphic novels?" –Barbara asked him sarcastically.

"For example, but not only that. You could also buy foreigner novels in their original language, which I believe me will be a lot harder to find in any library London is assembling in that ship." –Mark told her, with a little smirk on his face. –"Now, if you guys excuse me, I'm going to check if they have the latest edition of _The Necronomicon Ex Mortis_."

"You do know that book is a fake, right? There isn't a real book with that name… it was created by H.P. Lovecraft back in 1922, as the basis for one of his stories and was later used as the base for movies such as Evil Dead and The Army of Darkness..." –Cody told him.

"... and comic books and other related media, yeah, I do know that… but as a writer I collect all kinds of texts, even those that are entirely fictional and were written just to promote other works." –Mark told him. –"Besides, the edition I'm looking for has one of the coolest covers I've ever seen." –he said, making that observation regarding it.

At the same time, inside a sports shop, Zack and Max were both trying to choose what they should buy. Unlike the rest of the girls, Max was not into shopping until dropping. She considered herself a tomboyish girl, mostly because of her love for sports, and her hate for a few juvenile romances, which tried to capture the attention of people, by giving them a love story which was too perfect for being real.

There was only a love story she knew that was close enough to those written by authors whose only objective is to make young girls like her fall in love by the perfect man, and that one was Maddie and London's romance, and even that one had its ups and downs, like everything in life.

It was this attitude that had captured Zack's heart, when he met Max. She was like his female version. They shared similar tastes; acted much the same way… in sum, they were perfect for each other, and they both thanked every day for being a part of each other's life.

"Hey, Zack, catch!" –Max exclaimed, as she threw a fastball to her boyfriend, who barely managed to catch it.

"Whoa, girl, that it easy!" –Zack told her, as he caught the baseball. –"This ain't a baseball match." –he joked.

"By now you should know that as long as I have a ball, I'm a danger to you, even if we're not in a match." –she joked, as she closed in on Zack, and gave him a big hug.

Zack was expecting a kiss, but he should know better that Max was kinda shy, and only kissed him when they were alone or somewhere where she would feel no one was watching her. Still, he hugged her back, hoping that one day she would lose that shyness and kiss him in public.

"So, do you know if our new school is going to have a basketball, or football, or baseball or hockey team?" –Max asked Zack, because he had been talking with London about it.

"London told me that she was planning on having two mixed teams of basketball, football, soccer, and ice hockey simultaneously, so they can play against one another every week." –Zack told Max, as he examined a baseball glove he had grabbed a few seconds earlier.

"Only London would come up with an idea like that, but I like it. I can't wait to try out for the basketball and ice hockey teams. I feel like I'm going to eradicate the competition this year." –Max told him, chuckling; really excited about the news he had just given her. –"And what about you and the rest of our gang? Are you going to try out for any of the teams?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course I am. I'm going to try out for the ice hockey team." –Zack told her.

"Oh… I was hoping you would try for one of the basketball teams along with me." –Max declared.

"You know that I'm good at it, but I'm too short for being a basketball player." –Zack told her.

"That's got nothing to do with it. I'm just a few inches taller than you, and you don't see me saying that I'm too short for being a basketball player." –Max told him.

"Yeah, but you're way better than I am. What you don't have in height, you have in ability with the ball. You're like the female version of Mugsy Bogues." –Zack told her, being truth about it. Max was really better than him in basketball.

When he compared his girlfriend to the legendary Mugsy Bogues, who became famous not only for his agility and speed, but also because he was the shortest basketball player to ever play in the NBA, he was really being honest.

"You know that you're being stupid for saying those things…" –she told him. –"… but you're also being very sweet." –she smiled, planting a kiss on his nose, making him chuckle.

A few more days went by, and with the 15h of September getting closer and closer, the S.S. Tipton finally docked, getting ready for its grand departure. All it needed now was for it to be loaded with the passengers' luggage that had been sent earlier, as well as everything they would need until they reached Belfast. Needless to say that when that colossal ship entered the Hudson, already every last reporter, journalist, photographer and gossip blogger was trying to find out everything they could about the ship.

Everyone stayed in the hotel, so as to not be disturbed by the media and the paparazzi; not to mention to finish packing their things, before they were sent aboard the ship.

But before they embarked on that wonderful trip, they still had one last stop to make. London spent almost two days planning it all in secret, but it was going to be something that would make her girlfriend extremely happy.

On their last day in New York City, London had a surprise not only for Maddie, but for the rest of the Fitzpatricks as well. Borrowing her mom's private helicopter, she told them she had a surprise for them. As they all got in the helicopter, Maddie asked her what she was up to, but London told her that she had to wait, as a devious smile appeared on her face.

The helicopter took off and headed south, flying over Manhattan and making its way to New York Bay. They all thought the trip was going to be long, but they were proven wrong when the helicopter began to descend towards the ground.

Now, Maddie knew that the city of New York itself had been built on 4 different islands, but there were two small islands where houses had not been built, because the islands were too small for that purpose. One was Liberty Island; where the Statue of Liberty was, and since she could not see the statue anywhere, she immediately guessed where they were… they were on Ellis Island.

As the helicopter's wheels touched the ground and the rotors stopped working, Maddie asked London what they were doing there.

"Can you tell me what we're doing in Ellis Island, Princess?" –Maddie asked London with a smile on her face.

"Like I said, silly, I have something to show you all." –London answered her. –"We couldn't leave New York before I showed you all this." –the heiress stated, as she opened the helicopter's door, letting the cool marine air inside the aircraft. The fresh sea air felt amazing on that moment to Maddie. It transported her mind just for a brief moment into somewhere far from there.

After disembarking, London approached the pilot and told him something which none of the Fitzpatricks heard. When she came back, she signalled them to follow her. Maddie quickly catch up to her.

"What exactly do you have in store for me and my family this time, London?" –Maddie asked her, trying to find out what was her plan.

"You'll just have to wait… there's a person here that I want you to meet and… oh, there she is!"

London immediately pointed to a redhead woman in her mid-thirties standing next to a few bushes. She was dressed in a navy-blue business suit, matching stilettos and was carrying some sort of file in her hands. She immediately smiled at London, and approached the group.

"Good morning, Miss Tipton. I see that you are as sharp as a clock… I like a person who appreciates punctuality. And this is Miss Fitzpatrick and her family; a pleasure to meet you all." –she told them, as she shook hands with everyone. –"I guess, Miss Tipton has told you why you're here and what I'm about to show you."

"Actually, no she hasn't." –Maddie answer her, deadpanned.

"Oh, I see... well, then, I better tell you then. But first things, first, my name's Alicia Mayview, and if you'll please follow me, I'll be happy to answer that and other questions you'll have." –she said, as she began to walk in the opposite direction from where they had come. –"Like I said, Miss Tipton did not tell you what you're doing here, but she had a good reason; after all what I'm about to show you all is something that it took a lot of work from me and my colleagues to find.

"And what exactly is that?" –Irving asked her.

"Let me answer that question of yours with another question. Do you know why Ellis Island was so important during the late 19th century, and the beginning of the 20th century?" –Alicia asked them.

Then, it hit Maddie... it was such a trivial thing that she should have remembered about it as soon as she identified the island.

"Because it was the gateway for most immigrants that came from Europe!" –Maddie exclaimed.

"That is correct." –Alicia declared.

"Of course, if this was where the immigration inspection was made, then we're here to see something regarding our ancestors." –Maddie declared.

"Once again, you're right, Miss Fitzpatrick."

"That's my Maddie... she always gets it right." –London smiled, as she wrapped her left arm around the blonde's shoulders, pulling Maddie to her, making her smile.

Then, from behind a beautiful garden, with tall beautiful trees, in front of them appeared a huge building. You could definitely see that it was an old building, because of its French renaissance structure in red bricks with limestone trim. Everyone recognized it either from a picture they had seen in their History book, or from a TV report they had once seen.

"Well, then, I welcome you to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum." –Alicia told them, as they approached the building, which seemed even more remarkable, each step they got closer to it. With its four towers and its architecture it resembled more to a small palace, or maybe a monastery that you would find in France, than a government building.

The place looked deserted which did not surprise them since it was a Sunday, and most museums were closed. They all immediately assumed that London was also behind that.

"As you can imagine, this wasn't the first building that housed the inspection station. The first federal immigrant inspection station was an enormous three-story tall structure, with out-buildings, built of Georgia pine, containing all of the amenities that were thought to be necessary for the job the inspectors needed to do." –Alicia said, as she opened the main door, and entered, followed by the rest of the group, who was now hearing every last word. –"Needless to say that that building no longer exists, as it was destroyed by a fire in 1885, most likely due to faulty wiring. Then, in 1897, the construction of this building you see started. The design belongs to the architects Edward Lippincott Tilton and William A. Boring and it opened on December 17, 1900."

Once inside, they saw themselves on the Main Hall. That room itself was quite impressive, not because of its size, but by the way it had been decorated. The walls were all dark beige, with the exception of the columns that supported the second floor walkway, which had its upper half were painted white. The ceiling was covered with marble tiles, contrasting with the brick-red tile polished floor. On the ceiling several antique chandeliers hanged. As for the windows they had a semi-circular shape, similar to the one where the entrance door was inserted in. On the walkways' you could see two American Flags hanging, but these were not ordinary American Flags. If one would look at them and counted the stars on them, they would notice that it had 48 stars, instead of 50, being the version of the flag that was used from 1912 to 1959, before the inclusion of the stars representing the states of Alaska and Hawaii.

"In this museum, it's our work not only to show new generations how their ancestors came to this country, most of them in search of a better life, but also to find out about the roots of their families. You probably are wondering why we do this... well, sometimes stories and facts about the previous generation disappear, are omitted for multiple reasons, or simply get lost in the sands of time and the next generation doesn't get to know them. That's why this museum was built in the first place, to allow people to get the chance to know who their ancestors were, where they came from, when they arrived, and most importantly, how they looked like." –Alicia explained them. –"But before we proceed with the reason of your visit here, does anyone have any questions regarding this building or the museum itself?"

"Well, I actually have one. Just how many immigrants passed through this room?" –Miranda asked her.

"Well, the number isn't an exact number, but we safely assume that more than 12 million immigrants passed through this hall during the years this place worked as an immigration station."

"Why is that the US flags have 48 stars instead of 50? Did you buy them at a discount store, where they sold you defective flags?" –London asked playfully. She knew of course that they were not defective, but still felt the need to ask it, as if it was some sort of joke.

"Oh, that... You aren't the only one who asks that. The reason why the US flags you see hanging have 48 stars, instead of 50 it's because during the time period this island served as an immigration station, the official flag was the version that you see, so no, they aren't defective or anything,."

"Is it true that the immigrants were sometimes forced to take on new names against their wishes?" –Liam asked Alicia. He had heard that countless times and had seen it on various television series, but never knew if it was true or just an urban myth.

The question obviously made Alicia giggled upon hearing Liam asking it.

"Of course not. That is just an urban myth that has been kept alive by television and countless books and novels which use it as if it was an historical fact. In fact, the inspectors used the passenger lists given to them by the steamship companies to process each foreigner. These were the sole immigration records for entering the country and were prepared not by the U.S. Bureau of Immigration but by steamship companies such as the _Cunard Line_, the _White Star Line_, the _North German Lloyd Line_, the _Hamburg-Amerika Line_, the _Italian Steam Navigation Company_, the _Red Star Line_, the _Holland America Line_, and the _Austro-American Line_. As for the Americanization of many immigrant families' surnames was for the most part adopted by the family after the immigration process, or by second or third generation of the family..." –Alicia kept explaining it all to Liam, and the others, who were listening to her.

Needless to say that as she kept talking, she completely lost Liam. What he thought was going to be something that would make him laugh, turned into something similar to a History class. Maddie giggled when she looked at her brother's face, and immediately told herself that she was going to miss his brother's antics.

"_I'm really going to miss that little rascal..._" –Maddie thought to herself, smiling.

"And now, if you'll follow me, I'll show you exactly what we found out about your family." –Alicia signalled them to follow her.

Following her, they all entered in a long corridor. It was not a scary looking corridor, but the fact that there was very little illumination, made them a little uncomfortable. London quickly wrapped her right arm around Maddie's waist, and gently pulled toward her.

After awhile, Alicia stopped and opened a door, which led them to a smaller room. This one was really no bigger than a class room. It was filled with showcases, where you could see numerous paper sheets on display, and at the centre, there was a huge touch screen table, the kind of which you see on NCIS: Los Angeles, which is equipped with Microsoft Surface. Approaching it, she touched it and immediately it turned on.

"Well, here we are. This is where the magic happens... the museum has records from everyone that passed through here, including photos. Tell me, does anyone of you know the name of the first member of your family to come to America?" –Alicia asked the Fitzpatricks, as they gathered around the table.

It took them a couple of seconds to realize that none of them knew... none of them, except for old grandma.

"If my memory is right, it was my grandfather, Seamus Fitzpatrick. He was one of the first Fitzpatricks to ever come to this country, back in 1901."

Maddie immediately remembered about her grandma telling her stories about her great-great-grandfather, and just how cheerful he always us about everything. Even when things got rough or did not go according to what it was planned; he always looked on the bright side of things, something unusual for a Fitzpatrick, whom since they could remember, had always been unable to do it.

"You're absolutely right. Seamus Fitzpatrick was the first of the Fitzpatrick clan to come to America. But, he did not come alone... he came with his brothers Andrew and William Fitzpatrick, not to mention of course, his sons and daughters. Three sons and one daughter, whose names were Matthew, Thomas, Kevin and Catherine," –Alicia told them. –"They all came from a small town in the south of Ireland called Blarney, just a few miles from the city of Cork."

When she heard the name of her great-grandmother, a small tear ran down from Maddie's eyes. Looking at her, London immediately understood why that happened. The blonde had not told anyone, except to the heiress about what had really happened while she was in a coma.

When everyone asked her how it had been, she lied to them by saying that she did not remember a thing. But to London, she had told her the truth. She told her about how she had seen her great-grandmother Catherine, and what she had told her when she was in Limbo. It was something that only a person who was as close to her, as London would understand, and that's why it was their little secret... a secret they would keep between them, until the day they would tell it to their children. Smiling at her, she grabbed her left hand and squeezed it, showing to the blonde that she knew what she was thinking about right then.

Touching the table's screen, it immediately showed them an old photo that was amplified so they could see it better. The photo was dated August 27th 1901and it showed them a group of people, surrounded by a few suitcases and bundles. Touching the screen once again, the names of each of the elements on the photo appeared, revealing who was who.

"And here we have, the original American Fitzpatricks, the first ones who came to our country." –Alicia told them. –"At the middle you can see the Fitzpatrick brothers; Andrew on the middle, and then Seamus and her wife Mary on the left and William on the right. As for the children, standing up we have Matthew and Kevin, who were 9 and 10 respectively, and sat on the ground, right next to their parents are the youngest, Catherine who was 5 and Thomas who was 7." –she pinpointed to them. –"Every immigrant was photographed, and in the case of families, they were photographed all together. Most of them had never seen a photograph before in their lives, and that's why they were given it, as a token of friendship, or if you prefer, one of the many privileges of becoming an American citizen."

"_I can easily imagine what a shock it must have been seeing themselves on a photograph._" –Irving told himself.

"_It's amazing, Grandma Catherine looked just like me when were 5._" –Maddie thought to herself, remembering the photo that her father's friend, Patrick O'Brannigan had showed her and London when they visited his pub in Philadelphia a few months before. –"_I guess good looks run in the family._"

"_I guess good looks run in the family._" –London thought to herself, sharing Maddie's exact same thoughts.

"But, you're probably wondering what happened to them after got to the United States, aren't you?" –Alicia asked them, even though she believed that the Fitzpatricks themselves knew at least a couple of things regarding their ancestors' fate.

"Well, we know that our great-great-grandfather was a blacksmith in the old country and that he managed to open a small shop in Pittsburgh, which he managed with his two brothers." –Liam answered her.

"Yeah, but not for too long... remember what great-grandma Catherine told us? That great-great-grandfather Seamus had a big fight with his brothers and that they each went their separate ways and never spoke to each others' again?" –Genevieve asked him.

"Not really... you know that I always fell asleep after she began to talk about these things." –Liam answered her.

"Well, I don't know if your parents or your grandmother know about this part of your family's history, but if they don't mind, I may be able to answer that." –Alicia declared, looking at their parents and their grandmother, who all waved her that she could tell them. –"Well, then, Seamus Fitzpatrick and his wife Mary, along with their four children left Pittsburgh and established themselves in Boston, where you still live. Your great-great-grandfather opened up a new shop. As for his sons, Kevin, Matthew and Thomas all ended up working on a brewery, while their sister, your great-grandmother Catherine worked as a nurse in the Massachusetts General Hospital. As for your great-great-uncles, William moved to Buffalo, New York where he opened a tavern. He also met a French lady named Josephine and ended up marrying her; they had three girls named Kelly, Eileen and Marcy. As for your great-great-uncle Andrew, after failing to set up a shop in New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey, he returned to Ireland, where he married a local girl named Noelle and had two children, a boy and a girl named John and Barbara."

Alicia went on and told them everything about each of the family's branches and what they had become. She talked about every single member of the family accomplishments as if all of them had been royalty or someone extremely important like a Nobel Prize winner or an ambassador, or something like that. They all felt that they were not just part of a normal family, but of a family who had done impossible things... a family that had come in search of the American dream, and had found a piece of it.

When she met London for the first time, Maddie felt so inferior when compared to her, because she had been born into such a powerful and rich family, and Maddie had been born into a middle class family. Of course, that was then, because with time, she learned that it did not matter a person's roots, because some of the most important people in the world had all come from humble starts. She was really proud to be part of that family, and London could see it in her eyes.

"Thank you so much for this wonderful gift, London." –Maddie whispered to the brunette's ear. –"You don't know just how big this is for me and for my family, to find out a little more about our roots."

"Well, I can imagine... after all, you've got a wonderful family. It's only fair for you all know where you came from and who your ancestors were." –London whispered to her.

"It's because of things like this that I'm head over heels for you, Princess."– She whispered once again to London's ears, and then playfully licked her earlobe.

"Maddie, we're in front of your family..." –London giggled, as Maddie's tongue kept licking her earlobe.

"Don't worry... they won't mind. They're too busy hearing the explanation." –Maddie giggled back.

"You're such a minx." –the heiress whispered to her ear in a playful tone of voice.

"I know I am, but what are you then?" –the blonde whispered back at her.


	6. Christening by Champagne

**Chapter 6: Christening by Champagne**

The time they all spent on Ellis Island was fantastic. It had been a day none of them would ever forget. But just like everything else, it came to an end. Still, the end of something is the beginning of something new, and the beginning of something new is the end of something old... and for the Martin twins and their friends it was time for them to begin a new adventure, which would be their biggest ever.

At six o'clock in the morning, when the sun rose on the horizon, everything aboard the S.S. Tipton was ready to receive their first passengers. The ship was fully booked with more than 12000 passengers. The crew of more than 3850 was the best money could buy and anyone who would be working aboard the ship had every reason to be happy, after all, they would be working on the largest, fastest, most luxurious and prettiest cruise ship that ever sailed the 7 seas.

When the time came for the first passengers to embark through the hatchways, the two most important members of the crew would already be on board, making sure that the last minute details were dealt with, while supervising both the crew and the passengers. Those two crew members were none other than the captain himself, and of course, Marion Moseby. The former hotel manager of the Boston Tipton had been chosen by London herself to be the S.S. Tipton Cruise Manager for that first year. Initially he did not like the idea, mostly because he did not want to leave "his" precious hotel in the hands of someone else he thought was less capable than him for the work; but London begged him for nearly a week, and just as always, he ended up agreeing.

As he packed his things, he felt sad because he was going to leave the hotel which had been his life for the last two decades, even if it was just for a year. He was going to miss the smells, the noises and particularly the ambience. He would not miss the people he had working for him, or with him, mostly because most of them had also been transferred to that ship during the following year.

But now, as he walked by the still deserted Poseidon Deck's grand staircase, one of the three grand staircases of that ship, which would in a few hours be filled with laughter, cries and footstep noise from the passengers, he told himself that this ship would be his new house during the next 10 months. That particular staircase was probably one of the most beautiful works of art in that ship. Made out entirely out of stone, the different colours of the stones made it look like a person had entered a royal palace. The floor was caramel-brown and the borders were milky-white, as for the stairway steps these were reddish-orange and the balustrade was also milky-white. Just like the rest of the deck, it was entirely polished and shiny, that you could see one's reflection on it. On top of the staircase there was a set of three statues that represented the Poseidon, Hades and Zeus, gods of the sea, Underworld and Thunder respectively. The statues were gigantic, and had been sculpted to resemble the Renascence statues. As for the ceiling, it was beautiful dome similar to other domes seen in early 20th century cruise ships like the Olympic, the Titanic, among many others.

Climbing up the staircase towards the main deck, he took a few minutes to look at his reflected image on one of the multiple mirrors that adorned the walls. He was wearing a navy blue blazer with the Tipton's coat of arms in the lapel, over a white shirt, beige Bermuda shorts and black polished shoes. In his hands he was holding a list of activities that he was to announce later, when the ship would already be on open sea.

"_Well, Marion today is the big day. Time for us to prove to London that she chose the right person for the job._" –Moseby told himself, when he was interrupted by someone, who was calling his name.

"Mr. Moseby! Mr. Moseby!" –Moseby heard someone calling his name. Turning around he saw who was calling his name. It was Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa Ramirez, or simply Esteban Ramirez as he liked to be called, the former bellman from the Boston Tipton. He had also been recruited by London and was made Moseby's assistant, because Moseby himself could not find a better person for the job.

Esteban looked up to Moseby as a father figure, trying to learn as much as he could from him, for one of his wishes was to one day become a hotel manager just as Moseby. As for Moseby, he saw Esteban as a valuable employer, and someone he knew he could always trust, even though sometimes he tended to screw things up with his own antics. Still, he saw Esteban's attempts to learn from him everything he could as a noble thing to do... sometimes he saw Esteban as the son he did not have. But, whenever he heard Esteban shouting his name, while running towards him as fast as he could, Moseby knew there was a problem.

"Yes, Esteban?" –Moseby calmly asked him. On that day, he did not want to lose his temper, for he wanted to remember this day as an occasion where he had managed to solve any problem without losing his head. He looked at Esteban and saw that he was dressed in a similar way to him; the only difference was that he was wearing white sneakers, and instead of a blazer, he was wearing a polo shirt.

"Mr. Moseby, the couple that was going to stay on the Liberty Suite on the Mermaid Deck called just a few minutes ago and cancelled because of some misfortune, and God know how, people found out and now I have at least five couples who are travelling with us, saying that they had made clear that if there was any last minute dropouts regarding any of the main suites, they wanted to have it... but how can I chose which one of the couples is entitled to that particular suite?!" –Esteban asked Moseby, clearly in despair.

"Esteban, Esteban... calm down. Take a deep breath and try to relax." –Moseby told him with a soothing voice, trying to calm him down. When Esteban looked a little more relaxed, Moseby looked him in the eyes and said:

"Now, Esteban... having worked with me these last years, what is it that I always tell you?"

"That I shouldn't eat jalapenos and mushroom sandwich because I start burping like crazy?" –Esteban told him, not knowing if that was the answer Moseby wanted to hear from him.

"No... The customer is always right!" –Moseby exclaimed. –"Remember, the customer is always right. It is our job to make sure that every customer, or in this case, passenger is satisfied. Now, the problem you have is very simple... follow the procedure, just like we did back at the Tipton in Boston; check the reservations, and the couple who made the reservation first and signed the papers saying that in case of a last minute dropout they would want the suite, gets it. As for the other couples, tell them that suite has already been occupied and send them a complimentary fruit basket to their respective rooms."

"Yes, Mr. Moseby, right away sir." –Esteban said, relieved to find out that the answer to his problem was really simple. –"Oh, one more thing, Mr. Moseby, when will the passengers start to board?"

"In exactly two hours." –Moseby told him, as he looked at his watch. –"By the way, do you know if Arwin has already finished doing what I asked him to do?" –he asked, seeing as he had given a task to him three days ago, and still had not heard a word from him since then.

"Oh, he's almost finishing it. Don't worry, everything will be ready on time." –Esteban answered him.

Outside, the media had been camped on the limits of the docks ever since the ship arrived, and during that time they had snapped all the photos they could, but they had not been authorized to see the interior of the ship. Now that the passengers were about to climb aboard, while interviewing some of them, they would have their first opportunity to see just how magnificent the interior of that colossus was.

On the cargo hold, the crew made sure that the cargo was all aboard. Among the things the ship would be carrying, the most amazing of them all was one of the most luxurious car collections ever assembled that was owned by none other than London, who had decided that she would need a car for each occasion.

When the clock stroke 9, the whole Tipton gang exited the hotel on their way to the docks. They were all excited to see just how the interior of the ship looked like when finished, and to start their trip around the world. Divided into four different limousines riding in a convoy, they all crossed the island of Manhattan towards the harbor. The Fitzpatricks were all, minus Maddie and Miranda, on the first limo, while on the second Limo were Zack and Cody, their mother Carrie and their girlfriends, Max and Barbara and their parents, who had taken the day from work to come and wish their respective daughter a safe trip. On the third limo were Mark, his father Stephen, and Anastasia and her mother Felicia. Finally, on the fourth limo were London, Maddie and their mothers, Akita and Miranda. As always, the traffic was a complete madness, and the cab drivers did not help. Still, the limo drivers were used to that New York City traffic and knew every street on that island, and which shortcut they should take in order to get to their destination.

As they closed to the harbor, But before they could board the ship, London still had to christen the ship. Initially it was supposed to be her father to do it, given that he was the CEO of Tipton Industries. But when they were already in limo, London got a call from him, who told her that because of a sudden storm that was lashing the skies of San Francisco, he would not be able to take off and arrive on time. That said, she would have to be the one to baptize the ship.

"Dad's always doing this!" –London sighed in frustration. –"Every time I need him, he's never around! I bet he's even going to send me some stupid jewellery to apologize for not being here... again."

Those who did not know London would say that she was angry and furious about all that. But in reality, she was disappointed and sad about it, and Maddie knew it. Putting her left arm around her waist, Maddie let the heiress place her head on her shoulder.

"Princess, you can't blame him this time. He might be one of the most powerful men in the world, but not even he is able to control the weather." –Maddie told her, as she kissed London on her forehead.

"Yeah, I know... but he could have come to New York earlier. That way he wouldn't have been stuck in San Francisco, and I wouldn't have to replace him." –London pouted.

"Remember, he's a very busy man, but he's also kind and attentive, otherwise he wouldn't let you date me." –Maddie told her, as she caressed London's chin.

"You're girlfriend is right, pumpkin." –Akita agreed. –"Your father is probably cursing himself right now for not being able to be here to wish you a safe trip. Believe me, I know him."

London just smiled. She knew her mother and her girlfriend were right. The few times her father had been with her he showed that he was sorry he was not always there for her. Trying not to think about it, she concentrated on what she was going to say when it was time to christen the ship.

Usually, when she needed to give a speech, someone would write it for her, and London would just need to read it. But, in emergency cases, she came up with speeches based on multiple factors. It was something that she did ever since she was 10, but Maddie had helped her improve that special talent of hers. She would look at what she was dressed in, where she was going to talk and what kind of people would be hearing her. Combining those elements, she could come up with small speeches that could be said just about on any occasion.

Looking at herself and to Maddie, she immediately began to make use of that talent of hers: she was wearing a pink and white sundress and white sandals. As for Maddie, she was wearing an orange and yellow summer dress and white Mary-Janes. They were going to christen a cruise ship and then she was going to talk to a bunch of reporters, as well as some passengers. As she finished thinking about it, the whole speech just popped in her head.

"_I'm such a genius!_" –London told herself, as her smile broadened. Upon seeing her smiling like that, Maddie could not help but to ask her what was she thinking about?

"What are you thinking about?

"Oh, nothing... I was just wondering, would you like to baptize the ship with me? I never did anything like that in my life, and I don't exactly know what I'm supposed to do." –London asked Maddie.

"Sure, if you want to." –Maddie immediately answered. –"But, it shouldn't be that hard. I mean, you only have to say a few words and then slam a champagne bottle against the ship's hull."

"Yeah, I guess you're right... but now that I think of it, why should we even waste a good champagne bottle on that ceremony?"

"Because it's a custom." –Miranda answered her. Maddie's mom had been quiet ever since they left the hotel, and these were the first words she said. –"For example, ship launching participants in ancient Greece wreathed their heads with olive branches, drank wine to honour the gods, and poured water on the new vessel as a symbol of blessing. The practice of breaking a bottle of wine over a ship's bow was introduced by the British navy in the late 17th century as a cost saving measure! Previously the ships were baptized with a "standing cup" of precious metal, which was then promptly thrown overboard. The rapid production of ships during the height of the British Empire put an end to that. ..." –she kept explaining. When Miranda looked at the girls they were both eyes open and their jaws dropped, looking at her as if they had both seen a creature from another world. – "What? You know that I like to watch the Discovery Channel or the History Channel when there's nothing good on television."

This comment made the girls laugh like crazy, and their mothers soon followed them. In an instant the limousine's interior became filled with laughter. When the laughter ceased, London grabbed her cell phone and began searching on the Internet for speeches used in ship's christenings... the last thing she wanted was to not know what to say as she performed the ceremony.

Finally, they made it to the harbor. The ship was easily recognized not only by her size but also because of its gleaming white and electric-blue colours. Looking at through the smoked windows, it was as if a person was looking at a huge shiny diamond that had just been polished.

The people all gathered on the docks to see the ship and also to say farewell to family or friends that were embarking. The security was tight and before they could enter the pier where the ship was docked the police inspected every last person, trying to avoid any kind of trouble. The last thing people needed was a man or a woman with a pistol or a revolver trying to shoot somebody, or with a knife. People complained about it, but ever since 9/11 this was standard procedure on this kind of events.

Making its way through the crowd that was there, the limo drivers had to horn a couple of times for the people to get out of the way. Finally, they stopped near the ship's bow where a small stage had been assembled. It was there where the London and Maddie would christen the ship by breaking a champagne bottle against it.

London grabbed her cell phone and texted the rest of the gang as well as Liam and Genevieve on the other limos, telling them to order the drivers to stop, because she wanted them with her and Maddie upon the christen ceremony. As soon as they received the message, they did as she told them, and the remaining limos stopped in front of the stage.

After the drivers opened the door for them, everyone exited and joined the girls who were waiting for them next to their limousine. The heiress had decided that having Maddie next to her was not enough and that their friends and respective families had also the right to be next to them; after all, they too had played an important part in the construction of that ship and the planning of that voyage... their friendship was the main reason, right after her love for Maddie, for that voyage to happen.

Photographers were all snapping photos at them all. Zack felt like a Hollywood superstar with so many eyes looking at him. As for Cody, unlike his brother, he tried to behave like always. Looking at them, the photographers and paparazzi that had recognize them as the twins that were always hanging with London, though they could not tell them apart for Carey had dressed them equally. They were both wearing orange Bermuda shorts, red t-shirts and black and red sneakers. As for Carey, she was wearing a lime-green summer jacket over a black strapless shirt, white Capri pants and green sandals.

Barbara looked dazzling in her baby-blue summer dress and matching shoes. She had even changed her glasses' rim to match the rest of her clothes. As for Max, she had chosen a more sportive look. She was wearing a black tank top, a red and orange A-line skirt and red and white sneakers.

Following them were Mark and his dad Stephen, Anastasia and her mom Felicia. Mark was wearing one of his trademarked t-shirts, a red one with the Adidas logo stamped on it, blue jean shorts, black sunglasses and red Converse Alls. Stephen, on the other hand was looking a little more festive than his son, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, grey trousers, black leather shoes and a pair of sunglasses; in fact, he looked like one of those detectives you see on series such as Hawaii-o-Five or Miami Vice.

But when it came to clothing, Anastasia was certainly the one who stood out from everyone else. She was wearing a black corset which tightened her waist and her chest making her waist look smaller and her breasts bigger, a black leather skirt, leather gloves, fishnet stockings and high-heel boots. In her hands she was holding a black lace Goth umbrella. Her raven-black hair was done in two beautiful pigtails, and her pale complexion was even more emphasized by the red-ruby lipstick she was wearing. She was incredibly beautiful. In fact when looking at her you could almost say that her unique look was the combination of the looks from Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice, Abby Sciuto from NCIS and Queen Amidala from Star Wars.

Compared to her daughter, Felicia, who was wearing a simple green summer dress, looked rather simple. In fact, no one would say that the two of them were related in any way.

Making their way over the red carpet, they all joined the girls and their mothers, and then proceeded to climb the stage, where two persons were waiting for them. One of them was Moseby, who was incredibly happy to see them all, and the other was none other than His Honor, the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg.

Upon seeing him, London just wanted to give Moseby a big hug and tell him that she had missed not having him around to lecture her or to point her in the right direction when she did not know what to do. But because they were in public, she restrained herself. Still, she winked an eye at him, and Moseby smiled at her. As everyone got on the stage, Mayor Bloomberg approached London and like a true gentleman, he kissed her hand, and then proceeded to do the same with Maddie and their mothers, as well as the rest of the girls and women, while shaking hands with the boys and the men.

"Miss Tipton, I have to say it's an honour to meet you, your mother, your girlfriend, as well as her family and your friends." –Mayor Bloomberg stated.

"The pleasure is all ours, Mr. Mayor." –London declared.

"Mr. Moseby has already told me that you'll be the one to christen this magnificent ship. In the name of city of New York, I thank you for choosing this town to be the one to witness the departure of the S.S. Tipton on its maiden voyage."

"Yes, well, we chose the city given its History and because it's also a beautiful city. But I'm afraid that I'm not only own who's going to christen this ship… we all are going to."

The whole group was speechless. How was she going to do that? Maddie herself asked that same question, regarding that it was impossible for them all to hold the bottle at the same time and smash it against the ship's bow.

"Huh, London… how are you going to do that?" –Moseby whispered to her ear.

"Simple… we'll all sign the bottle, then we tight it to a rope and me Maddie will smash it together. That way, every one of us will be able to christen it." –London smiled as she explained her plan.

"Well… I guess it's a way to do things." –Moseby asserted.

"I say that is a wonderful idea." –Mayor Bloomberg also agreed. –"Not only are you pretty, but you're also a smart young lady." –he chuckled.

"Well, if that how it's going to be, we better have the champagne bottle signed…" –Moseby said, as he grabbed a walkie-talkie he had on his back pocket. –"Esteban, where is that champagne bottle?" –he asked, waiting for the answer from Esteban.

"It's coming, Mr. Moseby… it's coming!" –Esteban answered over the walkie-talkie.

A couple of seconds later, Esteban appeared, climbing the stage stairs as fast as he could, holding the six-liter bottle on his hands, and his walkie-talkie on his teeth. Passing by everyone, as he was about to handle the bottle to Moseby, he slips on a cable and drops to the ground, letting go the bottle in the process. What happened next was something that seemed only possible in movies. It was as if everything began to move in slow-motion. Moseby tried to grab it, but missed it. London also tried to catch it, but was unable to do it… then, out of nowhere, Max shows up, having threw herself to the ground, she landed on her back and grabbed the bottle just as it was about to hit the ground.

Helping her out, they all congratulated her, as everyone snapped photos. It had been quite the feat, and only someone as athletic as Max would have been able.

"Nice work, Max!" –Maddie told the girl, as she helped her getting up.

"Thanks, Maddie." –Max said, as she handled the champagne bottle to Moseby. Then she turned to her mom and said –"See mom? This is why I don't wear dresses! You can't do what I just did while wearing a fancy dress." –Max stated, to her mother, who was always trying to get her into dresses and make her act more lady-like, something Max just hated.

Everyone just cracked up laughing for a brief second.

"Thank God you have such swift moves, Max, otherwise we wouldn't have this bottle here, now would we, Esteban?" –Moseby said, as he looked at Esteban, clearly upset with him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Moseby…" –Esteban apologized.

"Never mind that, Esteban. What's important is that the bottle didn't break." –Maddie stated the obvious.

After that, they all proceeded to sign the bottle, which would have been an impossible task, if Stephen did not have a pen with him, for no one else had one.

"I always carry a pen wherever I go. You never know when you're going to need one." –he said, as he handled them the pen.

The bottle was a very expensive one. In fact it was the most expensive champagne in the world; a six-liter bottle of _1907 Heidsieck_, which was worth 275,000 dollars. It would be a real waste to smash it against the ship, but the ship deserved no less. London and Maddie were the first ones to do so, and then the rest of them also did the same. Mayor Bloomberg was the last to sign and then handled it to London.

"Okay, Esteban, be very careful and take it to the poop deck, wrap a rope around it and then slide it down very slowly, okay?" –London explained him what to do.

"Yes, Miss Tipton." –Esteban waved his head, as he received the bottle from the heiress.

"And be careful with it… if you break it, it will come out from your salary for the next 100 years." –Moseby warned him

"Y-Yes Mr. Moseby." –Esteban gulped, knowing that Moseby did not kid around when he issued those warnings.

Taking it with him, it would take at least 15 minutes for Esteban to complete the task he had been given. That would give London enough time to give out a small speech and to answer a few questions from the media.

Signaling Moseby that she was ready to start the speech, he handled a microphone to her and another to the mayor. Taking a deep breath, she looked once more to Maddie who winked at her, wishing her good luck, and then began:

"Good morning everyone! I know that most of you were expecting my father, Wilfred Tipton to be the one here today, but due to unforeseen events, he won't be able to join us." –London talked to the microphone. –"Anyways, I want to thank you all for coming, especially to His Honor, the Mayor of New York City for being here, because on this day, History will be made. Today this which is the largest and most luxurious cruise liner ever built by Man will departure on its maiden voyage around the world. Still, the S.S. Tipton is not just a cruise liner for the famous and for those who have the money to make such a trip; it is also a school. Some of country's top students, as well as a few foreigner students will attend a school which was created with one purpose and one purpose only: to stimulate learning and provide the students that will be attending it, a chance to get to know foreign countries and to know about their customs, their religious beliefs, their culture… in sum, to learn about our world, while experience things first hand. It is my wish that one day every single student in the world might have the opportunity to experience school in the same way these students."

The sound of applauses was heard for a brief second, before London went on with her speech. The reporters and the journalists wanted to start asking questions, and she knew it… she could see it in their eyes. The only thing that would make that even clearer was if they began all to salivate like a dog, when it sees a juicy steak. Still, she would not be answering questions just yet.

"Ever since this ship arrived to this harbor, many have speculated why the secrecy; why Tipton Hotels and Tipton Industries did not publicized it… well, I might as well tell you. I wanted to surprise my girlfriend and my friends by taking them on this cruise, and you can all imagine that it's impossible for me to keep a ship this size in my pockets." –she joked about it. –"So, there you have it… this ship, as well as the cruise started as a surprise for those I love the most, but ended becoming so much more than that. It became my contribution to students everywhere, hoping that one day this dream and wish of mine for every student to have the chance of having a better education and to come into contact with different cultures and lifestyles, and by that, becoming better people, with a better understanding of our world, becomes reality."

Another wave of applauses was heard, this one a lot louder than the previous. As that sound faded, Moseby stepped forward and announced that London would now be answering a few questions, before the ship's christening. He needed to give time for Esteban to complete his task of tying the champagne bottle to a rope and lower it.

One by one, London answered a few questions.

"Just how many passengers will take this cruise?" –a male reporter who was covering the story for CNN asked her.

"I don't have the exact number, but I can tell you that there will be more than 12000 passengers, not including the ship's crew of course. In fact, I'm surprised we're fully booked." –she giggled about it.

"Miss Tipton, what it is the name of the school aboard the ship and how many students will be attending it?" –a female reporter asked the brunette.

"The school's name is Tipton High Seas School, and it will have 2500 American students attending it, as well as 1000 foreign students, which will join us later on the voyage." –London answered.

"Given that the S.S. Tipton is the largest and most luxurious cruise ship ever built, and this is its maiden voyage, aren't you a little nervous about the famous Titanic curse?"

The curse the woman was referring to was obviously the one surrounding the famous ship, which sank after hitting an iceberg. Ever since then, people assumed that during their maiden voyage, all cruise liners were under the curse of the Titanic, and until they reached the end of it, the curse and spectre of what happened would always be hovering in the air.

"Not at all." –London declared. –"The ship is equipped with the most sophisticated technology and safety equipment, not mention that the crew is composed by some of the most skilled professionals there are. Plus, I won't say that the ship is unsinkable or that not even God could sink it." –she joked about the last part.

As London kept answering a few more questions, on top of the ship's bow, Esteban had finally managed to find a rope in order to tight around the bottleneck. Giving a nice and firm knot, he then grabbed the other end of the rope and proceeded to tight around the railing.

"_There… now for the worst part._" –Esteban gulped, as he began to silently pray to himself–"_Please, Holy Virgin of Sierra Malograda, don't let me drop this bottle, and I promise that I'll light up a candle in your honour, every night until the end of this journey._"

Grabbing the bottle he passed it to the other side of the railing, and then began to drop it very slowly, so as to not hit the ship. After almost five minutes, the bottle finally reached its destination. Moseby grabbed the bottle and signaled Esteban, telling him that everything was right.

Esteban sighed in relief, when he saw Moseby signaling him that everything was right.

"London… the bottle is ready." –Moseby whispered to her.

Hearing that, London decided that she had answered enough questions regarding both the subject of the ship and of her relationship with Maddie, and that it was time for the christening of the ship. She did not want to answer questions regarding that last subject, for multiple reasons, but mostly because she did not feel like telling people the details of their relationship. As she grabbed the bottle, she did her best to remove those thoughts out her mind. It was not healthy for her to think about those things, she told herself.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the christening of the beautiful ship, to which I ask the love of my life, Madeline Fitzpatrick to join me." –London exclaimed, as Maddie approached her. –"Ready to do this, Blondie?" –she whispered to Maddie's ear.

"I was born ready, Princess." –Maddie whispered back to London's ear, as they both grabbed the bottle.

Photographers readied their cameras to snap a perfect photograph, as London and Maddie also readied themselves to break the champagne bottle. Among those who were about to snap photos were Carey and Miranda, as well as just about anyone who had a cell phone. At the same time, they began to serve champagne glasses to those on the stage. Zack and Cody also grabbed one each, even knowing they were not very fond of champagne, especially Zack.

"Try not to throw up, okay?" –Cody told Zack; reminding him what had happened the last time he tried to drink a champagne glass.

"I didn't throw up last time." –Zack said in his defense.

"No, but you nearly did, so that's why you have to be careful." –Cody smirked at him. It was times like this that he loved to be his brother's babysitter, because he got to tell him what he should and shouldn't do.

London and Maddie were the last ones to be grab a glass. When they saw that everyone had been served, London began a speech she had seen on the Internet.

"For thousands of years, we have gone to sea. We have crafted vessels to carry us and we have called them by name. These ships will nurture and care for us through perilous seas, and so we affectionately call them "she." To them we toast, and ask to celebrate the S.S. Tipton." –she said as she took a small sip, with everyone else mimicked her. –"The moods of the sea are many, from tranquil to violent. We ask that this ship be given the strength to carry on. The keel is strong and she keeps out the pressures of the sea."

She raised her glass once again, as the others mimicked her once again. –"Today we come to name this lady, the S.S. Tipton, and send her to sea to be cared for, and to care for the all her passengers. We ask the sailors of old and the mood of God that is the sea to accept the S.S Tipton as her name, to help her through her passages, and allow her to return with her crew safely." –London declared, as she again, raised her glass, and everyone mimicking the heiress."TO THE SEA...TO THE SAILORS BEFORE US...TO THE S.S. TIPTON!"

As she finished, she winked her eye at Maddie, signaling her that it was time for smashing the bottle.

"Well, there's only one last thing to do… Have a drink you too, fair maiden!" –London giggled, as the girls both threw the bottle against the bow.

It is considered bad luck for a ship if the bottle does not break upon the first hit. Fortunately for the S.S. Tipton, that did not happen. The strength they both used was enough for the champagne bottle to break into tiny little bits which then fell onto the Hudson. The golden champagne splashed against the white bow, with a few drops ricocheting and landing on their faces. Seeing that, London and Maddie turned around to the cameras and shared a kiss, with the audience applauding them. The noise of the applauses was only interrupted by the sound of camera flashes and whistles.


	7. All Aboard

**Chapter 7: All Aboard**

It had been a beautiful ceremony; one that would be remembered by those who had been present, as one of the most beautiful and memorable ever. But that had only been the beginning for those who were about to board up the ship. Entering through the hatchway on K Deck, the _Luna Deck_, the passengers were immediately astounded by the magnificence of the ship. After passing by the reception desk and the passengers registration desk, where they were offered appetizers and some refreshments, the first thing they saw was the opulent and colossal central grand hall. This one stretched all the way from the poop deck to the _Luna Deck_ as if it was an enormous octagonal cave. Its dome was made out of stained glass, where you could see a red and orange windrose, while the floor was marine-blue, polished in a way that you could see one's reflection on it. On each of the corners there was a magnificent round glass elevator, decorated similarly to the rest of the hall, which allowed the passengers to look outside. But the most impressive section of that grand hall was without a doubt the colossal statue of Poseidon himself, which looked like it had been carved from a huge block of white marble. Its eyes had been carved in a way that when a person looked at it, it seemed like it was following it, just like what happened with the Mona Lisa. In its left hand it was holding a black metal trident, pointing it to the sky. It was an otherworld beauty and it matched perfectly with the rest of the decoration, which evoked the theme of the oceans.

"_If the whole ship is as beautiful as this, then it's even more beautiful than I thought it would be._" –That's what most of the passengers told themselves, as they entered and saw the opulence of the environment that surrounded them.

As he watched the passengers boarding, Moseby told himself that it was the moment of truth. He kept calm as he smiled and approached the first passengers. It was a young married couple in their honeymoon. He remembered them, because he had been the one who took care of their reservation.

"Welcome aboard the S.S. Tipton. We hope you have a nice and pleasant stay aboard. Anything you need, just call room service." –Moseby informed them; in such a fashion that one would still say that he thought he was still back in Boston, in the Tipton.

After registering themselves, the passengers all proceeded to their rooms to leave their things, before exploring a little of the ship, and going up to the poop deck to wave goodbye to those who stayed behind.

Passing by the registration office, the gang saw some of their colleagues from school, who just like them, were also taking the cruise, courtesy of London who had arranged things for almost half of Cheevers High to come along.

As they passed by them Corrie and Mary Margaret, they jumped in front of London and gave her a huge hug, thanking her for bring them on that cruise. Corrie had grown a few inches since the girls last saw her, and the same thing could be said by Mary Margaret; still they were the same size as London. They were both wearing their hairs straight, and you could see that they had been at the beach; their tan gave them away immediately. As for their clothes, Corrie was wearing a pink summer dress and matching stilettos and purse, and Mary Margaret was wearing a white tank top, black mini-skirt and black tennis shoes.

"Thank you, London, thank you!" –Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"Yes, thank you for bringing us with you." –Corrie told her, as she gave her a big hug.

Like always, they did not even pay attention to Maddie. Even knowing she was dating London, they paid very little attention, focusing solely on London.

The heiress was happy that their parents had allowed them to come along, but right then, they were the last people she wanted to see, because she was with Maddie and her family, not to mention the rest of her friends.

"My pleasure..." –London said. –"_I've got to find a way to get rid of these two..._" –she thought to herself.

"Oh, hello there, Maddie." –Corrie finally noticed the blonde, giving her a hug.

It felt strange to Maddie, as Corrie and Mary Margaret gave her a big hug and told her that they had missed her. For as long as she could remember, they had never said anything nice to her. They had always treated her like a peasant or a maid that followed London everywhere.

Maddie had always told herself that she would one day get even with them; she would get her revenge for always treating her like crap. Countless times, in her head, she imagined herself slapping them, or calling them every name on the book. But now that she clearly had the chance to get her revenge on them, she just could not do it. Smiling at them, she returned the hug, and said:

"It's awesome to see you girls too." –Maddie told them. -"But right now, we still need to check out our accommodations and see if everything is alright. Catch up with you later!" –she exclaimed, as she walked away with London and the rest of the gang.

"I thought you hated them." –London whispered

"Wrong, the old me hated them, Princess. The new me is nice to everyone, even if they were mean as Hell to me for so long." –Maddie told her.

"So in other words, you still hate them, but you're not going to give them the pleasure of getting pissed off by them treating you like a person, unlike they did before we began to date, am I right?" –London tested her, to see if she was really saying the truth.

"No, it's called being superior to all that, London. I'll show them that I'm not holding any kind of grudge regarding the past." –Maddie insisted.

"Whoa... you sound so sexy when you talk like that." –London teased her.

"Like that song says... "_I'm sexy and I know it_"." –Maddie laughed about it.

o0o

Already in the possession of their keycards, everyone in the gang went to see where they were staying at. Being guests of London, they knew they would all be staying in awesomely cool and luxurious suites, but not even they were prepared for awaited them.

The Martins stayed on the B Deck, the _Atlantis Deck_, on the _Roman Suite_, which was composed by the rooms B-64, 66 and 68. When they entered they were just blown away by what their eyes saw. The suite was decorated in a way to mimic the decoration seen in movies like _Ben Hur_ and _Gladiator_. The magnificence of the décor with all its marbles of multiple colours, roman columns and furniture clearly inspired by the suite's theme made it look like it had really been taken of one of those movies. They also had a private promenade deck, bug enough for them to play squash. Carey fell in love with everything in that suite. Never in her life had she imagined London would go to such extent with them all. She would have been happy to just have a simple room, but this... this was way better. They had everything, a promenade deck, Jacuzzi, fireplace, among other things. It was the perfect suite for them.

"Oh, my gosh! I can't believe what I'm seeing…" –Carey gasped, as she looked around, trying not to cry of happiness.

Of course, the best part of the whole suite for the twins was their play room, where you could see multiple pinball machines, every gaming console there was and shelves filled with so many videogames that it would take them years just to play them all.

"Radical!" –Zack exclaimed as he tried to grasp everything that was around them.

"I can't believe London gave us all this…" – Cody said,

"Pinch me, bro! I need to be sure that I'm not dreaming." –Zack asked his brother, afraid that all of that was nothing but a wild crazy dream.

On the same deck, Barbara Brownstein and Maxine "Max" Vaughn, the boys' girlfriends stayed in the _Plato Suite_, composed by the rooms B-130 and 132. This one was similar to the one where the Martins stayed in, but its décor was more inspired by the ancient Hellenic style. Beautiful statues of nymphs adorned the entire suite, and the girls' rooms looked like rooms designed for someone like Helen of Troy. But, the most amazing décor piece in that suite was the dark metal statue of Plato in the middle of suite's foyer, which gave the suite its name.

Accompanied by their parents, the girls fell in love with their suite.

"So, you girls think you're going to be alright?" –Barbara's father asked them, as he admired the beautiful suite.

"You can bet that, dad." –Barbara told him.

"Yeah, this is great. If the rest of the cruise is anything like this, then London will have succeeded in spoiling us rotten." –Max declared.

"I'm sure you're both going to have lots of fun." –Max's mom told them. –"But do remember…"

"I know mom, I know. Be careful, don't take advantage of London, by telling her to buy us something expensive that we see and all that… although, I think we won't need to ask her anything, because she tends to spoil just about everyone in the gang with expensive gifts." –Max told her mother, giggling.

"Still, don't get carried away." –Max's mom warned her.

Two decks below, on D Deck, the _El Dorado_ deck, Mark and Stephen were staying on the _Hernan Cortez Suite_, composed by the rooms D-85, 87 and 89. The interior was decorated in an Imperial style, incredibly beautiful. Just like the _Roman Suite_, this one also had a promenade deck. It was a beautiful suite, nothing like the one they stayed back at the Tipton. Mark loved it, although Stephen still preferred their suite back at the Tipton, mostly because it was not as opulent as that one, but also because it was not his style. Still, not even he could deny that it had a certain glamour and beauty, especially since he had written so many books with rooms and houses built in that style. Looking at it better, he felt that he would eventually get used to it.

"Not exactly our style, is it, dad?" –Mark asked Stephen, as he opened every door, and checked what was behind them.

"I make your words mine, sport. It really isn't our style, but it is pretty. I think the fireplace is a nice touch, you know?"

"Yeah, still I… whoa… oh my God, you got to see this!" –Mark exclaimed to his father.

When he opened one of the suite's doors, he was just baffled by what it was in front of him. The room itself was quite big, twice as big as their living room back at the Tipton. Various paintings adorned two of the salmon-pink walls, while the other two were covered up with bookshelves, giving it a very warm feeling. The ceiling was white, and the floor was covered with a beautiful Persian carpet. But it was not the room itself that made Mark gasp… not, it was the object that was in the middle of the room; a beautiful Steinway mahogany grand piano.

"A grand piano! She got me a grand piano!" –Mark practically shouted on top of his lungs, incredibly happy about the fact that he had a piano just for him. –"Oh, wait until Anastasia knows about this…"

"Got to handle it to London. She sure knows how to please people." –Stephen said, smiling, pleased with the fact that the heiress had offered such a wonderful gift to his son, something he had always wanted to offer him.

At the same time, on the same deck on the Goth Suite, Anastasia and her mom Felicia stood in the foyer, getting used to the luxury that surrounded them. The suite was enormous, comprising the rooms D-22, 24 and 26, and it lived up to its name, for its decoration looked like it had been pulled out from one of Dracula's sweetest dreams. The colours that adorned it were the red, black and purple. Its dark polished columns were carved in a way to give the impression that they were covered with real living creatures such as bats, black cats and other creepy creatures. Frescoes decorated the ceiling, most of them being like Goth versions of famous frescoes by many artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. As for the floor, it was done in black tiles so polished one could see their reflection in them. Even the curtains that adorned the windows were black. In one word, it looked like they had stepped into the room of Dracula's brides.

Needless to say that Anastasia loved the suite. But her mother, she felt a little unease about its decoration. She had always thought the suite would look like a little more neutral decoration, instead of that mix of Goth and art-deco style.

"Whoa, mom, this is so beautiful." –Anastasia awed as her eyes tried to capture every last detail.

"Well, it certainly is… unusual." –Felicia said as she looked around, feeling a little unease.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you're scared of this place?! This is incredibly beautiful. It's like London told the decorators to read my mind and come up with this." –Anastasia said, as she ran her fingers over one of the carved columns, admiring its beauty.

"You might like things this way honey, but me on the other hand; I prefer things a little less dark and less creepy." –Felicia told her daughter.

"Suit yourself, mom, but I can tell you this, I'm going to love this trip!" –Anastasia said, as she practically jumped to the magnificent black leather chaise long that was near her. –"Can't wait to see what else this ship and this trip have to offer us."

All of the suites that had been especially designed and decorated for the gang were beautiful; there was no doubt about it. Still, none of them could rival with the one that had been built for them… the _Wonderland Suite_. This one had not been built when the gang visited the ship for the first time. This one had been built only after London knowing that Maddie's family would not be coming along, and it was London's special project on the following weeks. This suite had been the reason why on the first days after their return to New York she did not accompany Maddie and her folks. She wanted this suite to be everything Maddie deserved.

The suite had been built a few meters above the poop deck, in front of the funnel that was nearer the ship's stern. From outside it looked like a huge white hockey puck. The enormous windows went around at least two thirds of the structure that was the suite, giving it a futuristic look. The only way to enter it was through a circular elevator that literally hidden in plain sight. This one opened itself when a person placed her hand on a palm-reading scanner that was near it. The system was programmed to only recognize the palm prints of London, Maddie, their friends, and Moseby of course.

Still, if it looked good on the outside, then on the inside it looked amazing. The suite had a futuristic design. Wherever you looked, the only colours you would see were white and black. The furniture was similar to the one that London had in her suite back in Boston, but some of the pieces had a futuristic look. Unlike the other rooms, this one had a fully equipped kitchen. It also had a small gym, Jacuzzi, a sauna, an indoor pool, a private movie room, not to mention an enormous wardrobe, as big as the one London had in Boston, or even bigger. One thing was for sure, the girls would always have clothes to wear for every occasion. Plus, the suite also had a room where you could see an upgraded version of the Tipton Virtual Reality Amusement Chair, or TVRAC for short. London had made sure to place two of these in every major suite in the ship, especially because she wanted the rest of the gang to also experience that which had been one of the greatest experiences she and Maddie had.

As for their bedroom, it matched perfectly with the rest of the suite, but there was one thing that Maddie felt it was strange. On the middle of the room, there were two single beds, instead of a king-sized bed; though she imagined that if her family saw just a king-size double-bed, they might get the wrong idea.

Still, regardless that Maddie found it hard to believe what she was seeing. She knew that London would never settle for anything less than a suite worthy of a queen or an empress, but all that had toppled all her expectations. She loved the whole suite, especially since London told her that all of that had been built thinking about them.

"When I think you have managed to give me the most beautiful gift in the world, you surprise me by snatching the Moon and giving it to me, wrapped around a pink bow." –Maddie exclaimed, trying not to cry out of happiness.

"Well, I wanted to give you the Moon along with this cruise, but they told me that it wasn't for sale." –the Asian-beauty joked about it. –"Still, I might find a way to buy it just for you, one of these days. But until then, this will have to do." –London kept joking about it. –"So, do you like it?"

"Like it?! I love it!" –Maddie exclaimed, jumping into London's arms, smothering her with kisses all over her face. –"It's really beautiful!"

"Well, at least you girls will be well accommodated." –Miranda told her daughter.

"It really is a beautiful suite, sweetie. I'm so proud of you and your taste. You clearly inherited my excellent taste." –Akita joked about it with London. Both mother and daughter had always shared an ability to know what to use and what looked good on a person or in this case on a room.

"Thanks, mom." –London blushed lightly, upon hearing her mother's kind words. –"Truth be told, I tried to make it simple by mixing my tastes and Maddie's tastes."

"And it came out amazingly well, Princess." –Maddie told her, giving her a big kiss on her left cheek. –"I'm going to be extremely happy here."

"Well, right now, I envy you, Maddie… no parents, no rules, no nothing. Absolute freedom!" –Genevieve joked about it. –"You'll be having the chance to know how college students feel when they leave home." –she told her. Truth be told, right then Gennie envied Maddie a little bit, because she never had had the chance to try that kind of feeling, because she had decided to stay home, instead of moving to the university campus.

"Maybe... Still, I'll be extremely responsible as I always have been." –Maddie joked about it with a slightly serious tone. –"After all, what kind of example would I set for London if I decided to play hooky all of a sudden?"

"As if I needed a role model!" –London chuckled after hearing her girlfriend. –"And, just so you know, I intend to be the perfect student aboard this ship."

Looking at it, Liam was now feeling really sorry he had decided not to take this trip. In his head he thought that if he had known that he would be entitled to an extravagant and luxurious suite just for himself, he might have reconsidered things a little.

"Man, you really are going to be living like a princess here." –Liam said, as he checked out the huge plasma screen TV that was on mute, playing some documentary about lions and other great felines.

"You can say that again, little bro. Princess here will make sure that I'm treated like a real princess." –Maddie giggled, calling London by her nickname.

"I sure will, you can bet that. By the way, I got a question for you… how do you like the colour? Is it alright, or do you think it's too white for our taste?"

Maddie did not know what kind of question was that, but she knew that whenever London asked her something like that it was because she had one more trick up her sleeve.

"Well, it's really white… it looks almost as if the whole suite is covered with powdered snow. But why do you say that?"

"Watch this…" –London told her, as an impish smile appeared on her face. –"Pink!" –She exclaimed, while clapping her hands twice.

All of a sudden, the whole suite started to change colour, until every surface, every single object became bright pink. No one believed their eyes. Liam even rubbed his' in disbelief. How was it possible that one second the whole suite was mostly white, and on the next it was bright pink?

"What did just happen?!" –Maddie asked, as she swung her head both ways, trying to understand how that happened.

"The whole suite has a brand new nano-technological system which enables one to change the colour of things by just saying the colour out loud and clapping its hands twice. So, whenever we get tired of the suite's colour, we can always change it." –London explained, as she took a seat on one of the couches. –"Plus, if we want to only change the colour of one thing, let's say, a piece of furniture, all we have to do is touch it and say the colour… baby-blue."

As she finished saying the colour, the couch immediately started to change colour, until it was baby-blue.

"We'll be having a brand new suite, whenever we want. Think of all the money I'm going to save in furniture and paint." –London giggled.

"No wonder you called this suite the Wonderland Suite… it's wonderful in every sense of the word." –Maddie gave her one more kiss.

After showing the Wonderland Suite to their respective families, the girls decided that it would be nice for them to spend the rest of time they had before departure on the poop deck, enjoying themselves. As everyone went to the door, Akita signaled Miranda that she and London would join them in a moment.

Seeing themselves alone, Akita asked her daughter to take a seat on one of the chairs that were around a beautiful round glass and metal table, on the sitting room.

"What's the matter, mom?" –London asked her, as Akita looked her daughter in the eyes with a very serious, yet tender expression.

"London, honey… I know we already talked about this, but I just wanted to remind you about what's going to happen." –Akita told her. –"You and Maddie are going to be alone, and I know that you're already used to not being around your father or me, but Maddie is different from you. She's used to see her family everyday and to talk with them. You need to be by her side always, and be her family from this moment on. Remember, you need to always be there for her."

"I will mom. Maddie's the most important person in my life, I'll be there for her, no matter what happens. That, I can promise you." –London assured her.

Hearing her say that, Akita wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her tight against herself, not wanting to let go of her. For years, she thought that London would be better without her in her life, and now, more than ever, she regretted not being there for her before. London had matured into such a wonderful young woman, and now she was afraid that that when she'd be able to see her again, she would change to the point that the little girl she remembered would not be there for her.

"You've grown so much this past year, sweetie. As a mother I'm really proud of being your mother." –Akita told her with a smile on her face. –"You are one of a kind."

"Yay me!" – London exclaimed, using her well known catchphrase, clapping her hands in excitement. –"Thanks mom, but you're not the only one who's proud. I'm also proud of being your daughter."

"You see? This is what I'm talking about… one of these days you'll no longer be this cute and adorable little girl, but a fully-grown woman, who won't need me for anything." –Akita said playfully, shedding a small tear, as she gently pinched London's cheeks.

"Oh, mom… no matter my age, on the inside I'll always be a little girl, and I'll always need you by my side." –London hugged her mother even tighter, while also shedding a tear.

After that mother-daughter moment both London and Akita joined the rest of the group, who was already outside on the poop deck. When they arrived, they had been joined by the Martin twins and the rest of the Tipton gang. London could hear Maddie telling them just how amazing their suite was. Smiling, London was incredibly happy that Maddie had fallen in love with their suite.

"You guys got to see the suite. It's just mind-blowing!" –Maddie exclaimed to them.

"If it's anything like ours, then it's got to be one of a kind." –Cody told her.

"Just one of a kind?! You got to be kidding me… even mom here says that she fell in love with it. One of a kind it's not enough to qualify it." –Zack told his brother.

"Well, since you're talking about it, I might as well ask you guys. Did you all like the decoration of your suites?" –London asked them, as she approached the gang.

"Are you kidding?! We loved it!" –Carey told her.

Grabbing her and lifting her up in the air for a brief second, Mark kissed London on both cheeks, just before putting her back on the ground.

"Thanks so much for giving me a piano; especially one as beautiful as that one." –Mark smiled at her.

"It was nothing. Besides, you're always saying that you wanted to have a piano to play whenever you felt like." –she told him. –"What about you, Anastasia?"

"I love it in every sense. My mom on the other hand… well, she's going to have a couple of nightmares before getting used to it." –Anastasia giggled about it.

"What about you girls? Do you like yours?" –London asked Max and Barbara.

"Let's just say that no matter how much we both try, we can't find anything bad to say about it." –Max told her.

"It's a really beautiful. There just aren't words that can describe how beautiful it is… okay maybe there are, but I can't find them right now." –Barbara declared.

Hearing all those kind words, London felt like she had achieved one of her main goals. She had managed to make their friends feel at home. Now, she needed to make sure that this went on for the rest of the trip, on board the ship, off board, of course.

o0o

The sun already pointed noon when it came the time for those who were about to say goodbye to their families, mainly Maddie, London, Max and Barbara. Unlike the rest of the gang, who were going to travel with their families tagging along, Maddie and the rest of the girls had to say goodbye to their families, who were staying behind.

Needless to say, that all four of them cried when saying good bye to them.

"Now, Maddie, don't cry." –Irving told his younger daughter, also trying not to cry. –"We'll see each others on Thanksgiving."

"Your father is right, honey." –Miranda said, as she hugged her daughter. Unlike her husband, she could not help but to cry, while holding Maddie in her arms.

"I know, mom, but still… it will look like an eternity." -Maddie told them, trying not cry, but as hard as she tried, the tears kept rolling down from her eyes.

"Oh, time will go by so fast that when you least expect it, we'll be knocking at your door."

"Your girlfriend and your friends will make sure that you won't get bored." –Gennie told her younger sister, as she also gave her a big hug.

"Yeah, and besides, we're just a phone call away from you. Or if you prefer, a click on the web away from you." –Liam assured her, while giving Maddie a very big bear hug, to her and to London. –"London, make sure to treat her well.

"I will, don't worry." –London answered him, as she also said goodbye to her mom, by hugging her. –"Do you really have to go, mom?"

"I'm afraid so, sweetie." –Akita told her daughter. –"You know that my work prevents me from doing this trip with you all."

And London knew that her mother was telling the truth. As a jewel designer, she was constantly travelling around the world, not only to find the best materials for her works, but also to inspire herself. Only in the summer, did she take a break from all of her work.

"I know, mom, I know. Still, I wished you could come." –London told her.

"Oh, don't worry. Like Maddie's mom said, you'll see me soon. And next time, I'll bring your father along, even if I have to drag him." –Akita joked about it, making London giggle.

It was hard for them to say goodbye to those who they love, but the girls knew that once the ship departed and they saw themselves in motion, they would feel better. They all accompanied the Fitzpatricks, Akita and Barbara and Max's parents to the exit ramp.

"Have a safe journey." –Barbara's father wished them all.

"And remember, write us a postcard." –Max's mom told her daughter.

"Mom, nobody writes letters nowadays… we text or send e-mails." –Max joked about it, while trying not to shed a single tear. She did not want her parents to see her crying.

"Oh, whatever, just remember to write us, okay? We wanna know where you are, and what you're up to." –Max's mom warned her. –"Be sure to take care of Max, Zack."

"I will, ." –Zack quickly told her.

"You do the same thing with Barbara, Cody." –Barbara's dad told the second Martin twin.

"You can count on me, Mr. Brownstein." –Cody assured him. He would make everything in his power to protect Barbara, although he knew Barbara could take care of herself; after all she was a sho-dan, or first level black belt in Judo.

As they went down the boarding ramp, everyone kept waving them goodbye. Just like them, the rest of the parents and family that had come say goodbye to their children began to disembark. As the last of the parents exited the ship, the gangways were closed and the boarding ramps were pulled.

People began to gather on the poop deck where they began to wave goodbye to those who stayed. The people were so many that the gang had to be careful not to be split apart during that commotion. At the same time, the anchor was raised from the water; the thick mooring lines were dropped into the water, as the ship's horn howled. It was time, the S.S. Tipton was leaving and it would only be back in an about 10 months.

"Goodbye! Take care!" –Maddie waved her family, as she bended over the railing.

"Goodbye mom! Goodbye dad!" –Max also waved her parents, who waved back at her.

"Goodbye!" –Barbara waved her family.

"See ya in a few weeks, mom!" –London waved to Akita, who kept waving back at her.

Everyone on the poop deck and on the balconies kept waving to those who were on the docks, until those people became nothing more than tiny little dots in the distance. Soon, they were leaving the city of New York, as well as the iconic view of the island of Manhattan with its skyscrapers, as well as good old Miss Liberty. Needless to say that New York City disappeared, fusing itself with misty horizon they were now leaving behind.

As the S.S. Tipton made her way to the Atlantic Ocean, everyone on board all thought the same thing; _This was going to be a wonderful trip_. As for the Tipton gang, they all felt that this trip would forever change their lives, though they did not know when exactly, or how yet.


	8. Our New Home

New update! And this one is special, because I'm dedicating it to one person… I'm dedicating it to Ashley Tisdale, who portrays Maddie in the show, because today it's her 28th birthday and I think that the best way for a fan to show just how much he loves a person he admires is to give her a proof of its dedication as a fan, and well, on my case it's a brand new chapter from this amazing story. So, once again, Happy Birthday Ashley! Lots of kisses! X)

By the way, thank you all to those who have been supporting me and sending me suggestions in order to make things in this story more interesting. I promise that things will get hotter and spicier during the next chapters, and believe me, you will not regret waiting for them And now, back to music, xD.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Our New Home **

Already on high seas, people began to disperse. With so many things to do and with so many places to visit or hang out in that ship, it was hard for a person to choose what to do first. While some decided to visit the shopping district, others went to visit either the botanical garden or the aquarium, while others just stayed in the poop deck enjoying the sun and the sea breeze.

As for the Martin twins and the rest of the group, Carey, Felicia and Stephen decided to treat them to an ice cream. Going to the restoration district on the C Deck, the _Caribbean Deck_, they chose the ice cream shop that was more deserted, which in this case was the one named "Surf's Up". The shop décor had been inspired in the theme of the beach and surf, with most of the furniture being shaped like surfboards. The tables were shaped like them, the chairs and benches had been built with pieces of surfboards; even the building itself had a surfboard shaped door and windows. The waitresses were all wearing red or blue t-shirts with the ice cream shop's logo on them, black mini-skirts and roller-skates, which made it easy for them to move around.

Taking a seat on one of the empty tables, a waitress quickly arrived, handing them the menus and waiting for their orders. Zack and Cody did not even waste time looking at the menu; they both knew what they wanted to eat… a Banana Split, each with four scoops of ice cream. Max and Barbara opted for a chocolate and caramel sundae respectively. London and Maddie decided to share the house's specialty, the Strawberry and Lime Glory Sundae. As for Mark and Anastasia, they both decided to share a Knickerbocker Glory. Finally, the three adults decided to eat each a simple cone with a scoop each.

As they ate their ice creams, they kept talking about what they were going to do before that night's dinner. Yes, that night's dinner… like it happened on every grand cruise liner, there would be a dinner presided by the ship's captain, where he would welcome them aboard. Of course, with so many passengers aboard, there would not be enough room for all of them, so, only a handful of people, per say, would have the opportunity to dine with the captain. Fortunately, London had made sure that she and everyone that hanged out with her would be there.

"Don't gulp your ice-cream like that, Zack, or you're going to end up with a stomach ache." –Max told Zack, who was eating his ice-cream, as if had been weeks since his last meal.

"What are you, my mother?" –Zack asked him with a sarcastic tone.

"No, she isn't. I'm your mother, Zachary Martin, and your girlfriend is right. Eat slower, or aside from a stomach ache, you'll get a brain freeze and a week without television and Internet." –Carey warned him, taking Max's side.

"Yes, mom." –Zack said with a low voice, as he started to eat slower. He knew that when his mother called him by his full first name, he should just comply and not say another word about it.

The rest of the gang all laughed. Zack's antics always provided a good source of laughs, whenever one need to relax or just have a laugh.

"So, what do you guys plan to do before dinner?" –London asked them.

"I'll probably check out the ship. There's so much to see." –Barbara answered her.

"I'll be in my room. I'm going to try and sleep for a few hours."

"Well, I've got to check out the showroom where I'll be singing during the next few months, before going back to the If anyone of you wants to, you're free to join me."

"Thanks mom." –Cody said as he ate the Banana's split cherry.

"I'm heading back to the suite and I'm going to sleep a couple of hours and play with my new mascot, which should have been left on the suite." –Anastasia told them.

"Mascot? What mascot?!" –Maddie asked her.

"My new animal mascot… that's right, I bought myself a cat!" –she happily chirped about it. –"It's a beautiful black and orange tabby. Here, I got a picture of her in my cell phone."

She took the cell phone of her purse and immediately showed them a photo of her new pet, lying on her bed. She was a beautiful cat, with very a lustrous coat. Her fur was reddish-orange with black stripes and her little paws were white, making her similar to a miniature tiger.

"Oh, she's so cute… what's her name?" –London asked her.

"I called her Bombalurina, because when I looked at her she reminded me of my favourite character in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical CATS."

"Oh, that name is just perfect for her. She really does look like a Bombalurina." –Barbara told her, envying her a little, because her parents never let her have a pet.

"I know right? She's incredibly sweet and doesn't hurt a fly. I knew when I bought her that I wanted to bring her along with me on this trip."

"But, she's not the only one who has a new pet." –Mark told them, capturing everyone's attention. –"I also bought myself a cat."

"Don't tell us you decided to imitate your girlfriend?" –Max asked him. –"Or don't tell me that she was the one who imitated you?"

"Actually, none… we both bought our pets on the same day, and on the same store, when we went back to Boston." –Mark told them, as he picked up his cell phone and showed them his new pet.

"That is so typical of both of you." –Maddie giggled. –"Do you have a photo of your cutesy cat?"

"He's not cutesy, he's slender and ferocious." –Mark told her. –"And, his name is Cheshire. He's an Egyptian Mau, and yes I do have a photo of him here."

"Oh, he's so cute. You and Anastasia have such great taste." –London said. –"And his name… only you would call your cat Cheshire, after the Cheshire cat on Alice in Wonderland." –she said. Almost a year ago

"Thanks, but let's be honest, the hardest part in all this was to convince our parents here." –Anastasia told them.

"It was hard on your part, because my dad here actually encouraged me to buy a cat." –Mark pointed it out.

After they finished eating, they all went their separate ways. The twins followed their mom to her new working place, which was located on the E Deck, the Mermaid Deck. Just like London had promised her, Carey had a showroom just of her. Just above the door you could see a blue and golden sign decorated in a baroque style saying The Sensational Carey Martin. When they opened the double doors they revealed the inside was even more beautiful than any of the Martins had even dared to imagine. The whole place had been decorated just like the old 30's nightclubs with its beautiful atmosphere. The colours were mostly the beige and the baby blue. Looking at it, the place was more less the same size as the showroom back in the Tipton, but it was 10 or maybe 20 times more beautiful then that one.

"My gosh! This is so beautiful…" –Carey said, as she looked around, noticing every little detail there was. She had never worked on such a beautiful place. –"Boys, if I ever said anything bad about London, I take it all back."

"This really is beautiful, mom." –Zack said. He admitted that it was not his style, but it was nonetheless beautiful. Plus, he liked to see his mother smile.

"There's no a doubt that London hired the best guys in the business to take care of this. She practically read your mind." –Cody agreed with them.

"Oh, I can't wait to start working tomorrow night!" –Carey exclaimed as she went up to the stage. Just as always, from the top of the stage, the view was magical, even if the audience was just her sons. –Boys, I know you already know this, but I'll say it again… the next few months will be the best in our lives so far."

"We know, mom." –Cody waved his head.

"So, which songs are you going to sing tomorrow?" –Zack asked her.

"I still don't know, but they'll be cheerful, that I can promise you." –Carey giggled.

At the same time, both Mark and Anastasia arrived to their respective rooms. When each one of them arrived, they saw that in the foyer of their suites they had a box waiting for them. Picking it up, Mark took it to his room, while Anastasia took hers to the living room.

When Mark placed it on top of his new desk and opened the lid, out came his feline companion, Cheshire. Just like he had told the rest of the gang, Cheshire was a very slender and beautiful Egyptian Mau. He did not like strangers, and he would only obey his master's orders, even if Anastasia had told Mark that she would end up taming that "little ferocious feline" as she liked to call him.

"So, what do you think, Cheshire? Do you like our suite?" –he asked the cat.

The cat simply walked from left to right, lumping on top of the furniture, getting a good look at his surroundings. Finally, after about forty seconds, Cheshire jumped onto the bed and then meowed, before blinking his eyes twice.

"I'll take that as a big yes." –he said, as he grabbed him, and then sat, placing him on his lap. –"Now remember, don't let Anastasia tame you. You're a wild cat, who doesn't like pretty things… you're a rebel! I'm counting on you to stay just the way you are."

Cheshire just meowed in compliance. To anyone else that had been just a simple meow, but not to his owner; to Mark, it had been a "yes, sir". Mark's smile just became broader, as he felt filled with pride. –"That's a good kitty, Cheshire… or in your case, a bad kitty."

At the same time, in Anastasia's suite, after taking her new mascot out of the box, she began to pet her behind the ears. Bombalurina just loved when Anastasia did that. As she stroke her behind the ears, Anastasia felt like she owned her new mascot not for days but for years. It was such a strange, yet wonderful sensation.

"You like this don't you, my little tigress?" –Anastasia asked Bombalurina, as she started to pet her on the lower neck. Bombalurina on her hand, just meowed, as if she was thanking her mistress for doing that to her.

As she kept petting Bombalurina, her mom entered the living room, heading towards her. In her hands, she was holding two cups of passion fruit tea, one for herself and the other for Anastasia. Sitting next to her daughter, she handed her the cup, telling her that it had two spoons of sugar, just like she liked it, and ran her fingers by Bombalurina's belly, making her purr lightly.

"She really is so cute and precious." –Felicia said, as she listened to the cat purring.

"And you didn't want me to buy her? I guess you really changed your mind about it, huh?" –Anastasia shot at her mother, as she drank a sip of tea.

"Well, I do admit that initially I was a little unsure about you having a pet." –Felicia said.

"A little? Mom, you practically opposed the idea, as if I was asking you to adopt an elephant or a rhinoceros." –Anastasia laughed, as she picked up Bombalurina and gave her a big kiss on the nose. –"Imagine, Bombalurina, mom here thought that having you as a pet would be the same as having a rhinoceros or an elephant."

"I never said that! I just said that you would probably didn't have what it takes to have a pet of your own!" –she answered in her defense. –"Still, I guess I'll just have to get used to it, just like I'll have to get used to the decoration of this suite."

"There you go again with the decoration, mom." –Anastasia chuckled, seeing that her mother had not completely got used to the idea of spending the next 10 months in a place decorated like Dracula's room. –"Sometimes I wonder if you really are my mother…"

"Of course I'm your mother! I was just unlucky you inherited your father's taste for the bizarre, the occult and everything that has ties with the darkness." –Felicia sighed. Every time she talked about her late husband, it made her remember the time when he was alive, and the silly arguing they had because he had always been attracted to everything that was dark, creepy and sometimes disgusting, while she had always been attracted to cute and fuzzy things.

"Lucky me!" –Anastasia giggled as she placed the tea cup on the living room table in front of her, remembering the last birthday her dad spent with her, when he offered her, her first Goth make-up kit as well as her favourite doll, which was a Dracula's bride doll. She thanked that had her father's taste in things, and not her mothers. Don't get her wrong, Anastasia also liked cute and fuzzy stuff, but they wouldn't caught her dead wearing a pink dress and matching stilettos, like a Barbie doll.

"Yeah, lucky you and unlucky me." –Felicia said, as she hugged her little girl, hugging her cat as well. –"There isn't a day it goes by that I don't thank God for having a daughter like you, my sweet little buttercup."

As Felicia kept pampering her daughter with hugs and kisses, up on the poop deck, or in the Wonderland suite to be more exact, London and Maddie were enjoying each other's company, as London showed her around the suite; this time, showing her what she did not show her, when the rest of the people were around.

Just before the suite's entrance doors opened, London gently placed her hands over Maddie's eyes, stopping her from seeing what was in front of her. When the doors opened, London whispered to the blonde's ears to go in front, as they were surprised by their pet dogs Ivanna and Scampy.

"Hi, fellas!" –Maddie exclaimed, as she grabbed Scampy and kissed him on the nose. –"Man, I've missed you, you little rascal you!"

"I take it you missed Scampy a lot." –London smiled.

"You know I can't live without him, just as you can't live without Ivanna or me." –Maddie laughed.

"You're right; I can't live without the two of you." –London admitted, as grabbed Ivanna and imitated Maddie, by kissing Ivanna's wet nose. –"So, are you ready to see the secrets hidden within these walls, Blondie?"

"Of course, I am, silly." –Maddie told her.

"Okay, then… here's the first one." –London said.

At first, she did not see anything, but then, London pushed a small metallic circle on the floor, next to them, and the next thing it happened was a small section of the floor shaped like a square to slide underneath, revealing a hidden stairway. Scampy and Ivanna immediately began to yap nervously, not understanding what was really going on, forcing their mistresses to calm them down, by petting them on the head. When London told her about the hidden secrets, she really was not kidding around.

"A secret passage? Where does it lead to?"

"You'll see in a minute… come on, you're going to love this, my beautiful mermaid you." –London told Maddie, grabbing her by the hand and gently pulled her.

Heading down the secret stairway, Maddie was soon baffled by what laid in front of her. Underneath that suite was paradise for all those who liked gyms and swimming pools. They had assembled an enormous a huge swimming pool. Looking at it, she loved it, especially the details regarding its décor, like being pink and having the Tipton logo stamped on the bottom of it. Seeing it too, both Ivanna and Scampy barked happily.

"London, I can't believe this." –Maddie told her.

"Well, you better start to, Maddie, because this is all just for the two of us."

"Reeeeeally?" –Maddie asked her sarcastically, as an impish smile appeared on her face.

"Okay, okay, our friends can use it too… but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do." –Maddie told her, as the impish smile was replaced by a sweet smile. –"I'm already imagining all the pool parties we're going to give."

"Girl, I'm really a bad influence for you." –London giggled.

"You said it. You're my favourite poison, London." –Maddie kissed her again. –"And if you were a snake, I would let you bite me all you wanted." –the blonde giggled.

"Oh, don't say that, you're making me blush." –London giggled, as she began to blush with those compliments. –"But if you think the pool is great, wait until you see this little surprise… believe me, it took forever for the geniuses of the Bioengineer department of Tipton Industries to come up with this by my request. It's really something."

Approaching a white table that was near the pool, she grabbed a small remote control that was on it, and pushed a button. Instantly, the pool's water began to be drain out in a matter of seconds. Then, a few holes appeared on the pool's walls and something began to pour out of them, filling the pool all the way to the top. When looking at it closely, the things that were on the pool were the size of marbles, but they did not look like marbles; they looked more like…

"Diamonds?! You filled the pool with diamonds?!" –Maddie exclaimed, not believing her eyes.

"Close, but no; they look like diamonds, feel like diamonds, but they aren't diamonds. They're little cubes of refined sugar, shaped like little diamonds, and then coated in a substance that makes them slippery enough to feel like they're floating on water… in other words, it's the closest thing to a pool filled with real diamonds." –London explained to Maddie, whose eyes still did not believe what she had in front of her.

"I think you've been watching Duck Tales and reading too many Uncle Scrooge comic books." –Maddie chuckled.

"Maybe, but don't tell me you never wished you could dive in a pool filled with coins, or shiny gems?" –London asked her; but noticing by her face that Maddie never had actually thought about it, she said: "Not even in your wildest dreams?" –the heiress asked her in a childish tone, blinking her now sad puppy eyes.

"Well… maybe once or twice when I was five or six." –Maddie giggled, as she approached London by the pool, followed by Scampy and Ivanna. Plunging her left hands on those sugary diamonds, as she liked to call them, she loved the feeling. It was like London had described it. And more incredibly, when she took her hand out of it, it was absolutely wet. –"This ain't half bad." –She told London, as she wiped her hand with a towel the heiress had thrown to her.

"See? I told you. I bet that from now on, Uncle Scrooge will be the one jealous for not having a pool like this one." –London told her, as she kissed her. –"So, did you like this first surprise?"

"I loved it." –Maddie said, as she returned her the kiss. –"It's a really sweet thing this gym and this crazy pool."

"Well, if you think this is good wait until you see the rest."

Taking her back to the above suite, followed by their dogs, who kept yapping happily, London took them to their bedroom. When they entered it, Maddie remembered that they had separate beds, instead of a kind-size double-bed. She did not say a thing, but she was hoping to sleep every night next to London, as the couple they were.

"Let me guess… you were expecting a different kind of bed, weren't you?" –London asked, reading her mind. –"You don't have to tell me, because your eyes are telling me that."

"Yeah, I would be lying if I said I liked this."

"I know what you're saying, sweetie. How can we snuggle at night if we sleep in separate beds?" –she asked rhetorically. –"It's a good thing people invented secret doors and secret compartments."

Finishing that sentence, London clapped her hands twice and the wall as well as the floor began to rotate, making the bed's being replaced with a king-sized double-bed. It looked like magic, yet it was one of the simplest tricks in the world. The humongous bed seemed like it was tempting them to jump right in, so Maddie did just that. She jumped on the bed, loving just how soft the mattress was.

"Yipeee! Come on, London jump in!" –Maddie said, as she grabbed one of the pillows and squeezed it against her.

Not caring about formalities or etiquette, London jumped into the bed, making it shake like crazy, and then grabbed Maddie, putting her arms around her waist and began to to playfully kiss her. The sound of Maddie giggling was music to her ears, and she was going to make sure she kept giggling, by tickling her, all over her body.

"L-London, that's not… (laugh)… fair!"

"All's fair in love… (laugh).. and tickle fight!" –London also began to laugh, as she tickled her. –"You're the ticklish girl I know, Maddie**! **Cootchie-cootchie-coo!"

"Oh, yeah?... (laugh)… I'll show you… (laugh)… who's ticklish!" –Maddie exclaimed as she began to tickle London, making her giggle like crazy.

When they finally stopped tickling each other, they just stood there breathing heavily, trying to regain their breath, in silence. None said a word for what looked like an eternity. Finally, Maddie

"Another great surprise, no doubt about it." –Maddie giggled.

"Thanks. I wanted this bed to be all soft, spongy and bouncy. I really hoped that this mattress stuffed with Egyptian cotton and red rose petals, over a water mattress would be something you approve." –London smiled.

"It sure bounces a little, but not too much. It's quite pleasurable." –Maddie approved it.

"I told them to make it this way for when we decide to do some kinky things, while we snuggle at night." –London told her.

"Which reminds me, did you plan on bringing a few toys for us to play?" –Maddie asked her with a naughty tone and a similar look on her face.

"No, I didn't bring any of those we had… instead, I bought some new ones, which leads us to the third secret I have for you." –London told her as she dragged her to their wardrobe.

Following her girlfriend, Maddie knew exactly what was going to happen; she was going to show her their new playroom. And just like back in Boston, this one was located in a hidden room, deep inside their giant wardrobe. Just like the original one, this one could only be opened if you pushed a hidden button. Once inside, the blonde was blown away with what awaited them inside. The room itself was almost two times bigger than its sister back in Boston, and not only that, it had the double of the toys like armbinders, ball gags, harnesses, posture collars, shackles, collars, dildos, vibrators, among others, and of course, new BDSM torture devices like spreader bars, a Berkley Horse, a spanking bench, an X-cross, among others. Plus, they had at least ten brand new dominatrix suits, each one of them in a glass display case, and London would be sure to buy more of them whenever she had the chance. Each one of them was spectacularly sexy and beautiful, with colours ranging from basic black to cherry red, as well as navy blue, lily white, emerald green and nightmare purple, among others. It was hard for the blonde to actually decide which one of them was the prettiest, and which would look sexier in her.

"How did you manage to put all of this here without anyone knowing or thinking that you like these things?" –Maddie asked London, as she admired the collection of whiplashes, vibrators, strap-ons and other sexual toys that adorned two of the walls.

"I had three different teams coming in separately; one for building it, the second to decorate it and the third to assemble everything and put every little toy and accessory in their place. Of course, none of them found out where they were, or what exactly they were doing, because they were brought here in secret and paid a little extra to just forget about it." –London explained her, as she ran her fingers through the collection of dildos in front of her.

"I guess this room is in a way the naughty part of Wonderland, right?" –Maddie giggled, as she checked on the shackles hanging on the walls and to all of the impressive BDSM devices that existed on the room. –"How much did all these things cost?"

"Don't know exactly, but whatever the cost was, it's worth every single last penny, because I love it and I tell you that we're going to spend so many nights in here, kissing, caressing, yelling and punishing each other." –London told her, finishing the last part of that remark with a naughty voice.

"You really are the kinkiest, most pervert, and lustful girl I've ever met... and I love you for that. I wouldn't want my ass to be spanked, kissed, whipped or fucked by any other person, but you." –Maddie told her, as she wrapped around London's body like a snake, kissing her on the neck.

"S-Stop it, Maddie... (laugh)... otherwise you're going to make me wet." –London giggled. –"_Man, she's getting better every time we do it... her tongue feels as if it is alive._" –she thought to herself.

"That's part... (kiss)... of the plan... (kiss)... my beautiful... (laugh)... vixen." –Maddie answered her.

But as they were getting ready for some more action, both Scampy and Ivanna entered, yapping, happy to have found their mistresses, interrupting the girls.

"I guess they don't want us to be naughty to each other just yet." –Maddie said, as she let go of London.

"Don't worry; we'll have plenty of time for doing this and much more, later." –London told Maddie, always smiling. People usually hated to be interrupted when making out, but not London. She always felt that whenever she and Maddie were interrupted, it was just a break, before the main course. –"Come on, I still have two more secrets I want to share with you."

Once again, the heiress grabbed Maddie by the wrist and almost dragged her out of that room, closing the door behind her. London sure managed to come up with awesome surprises and the "secret diamond pool", the rotating room and their new BDSM secret room had just blown Maddie away. Still, nothing could have ever prepared Maddie for what she was about to be shown.

When they got to the living room, London pointed to what she wanted her to see. In front of them, on the floor was some kind of light projector. She remembered about seeing a few more of those spread throughout the whole suite, but did not pay real attention to them, because she really thought they were just that. But after taking a closer look, she saw that these were similar to holographic projectors she had seen in many futuristic films. Still, she knew that that kind of technology was still a decade away… then again, it would not be the first time London would surprise her, by showing her something that in theory should only exist in a movie.

"Is this what I think it is?" –Maddie asked London.

"And what might be the thing you're thinking this is, Maddie?" –London asked her girlfriend, with a playful smile on her face.

"Well, I'm thinking that this is a holographic projector, just like those you see in sci-fi movies." –Maddie told her, deadpanned. –"Am I right, or am I wrong?"

"You're half-right, my strawberry shortcake." –London said, giggling. –"It really is one of those things you just said, but it's only part of something way bigger… really bigger."

"You're scaring me, London… (laugh)… in a good way, I mean." –Maddie giggled, joining London. –"Come on, tell me what it is! You know I don't like waiting."

"I thought I was the one who didn't like being kept waiting." –London joked about it.

"I guess spending so much time with you is a bad thing for me." –Maddie giggled, as she planted a kiss on London's lips. –"Come on, tell me what it is."

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you… it's something Arwin has been working on for the last two months, along with some of the biggest geniuses in the world, when it comes to computers, software and all that stuff that makes my head spin, when I just think about it." –London laughed. –"When I asked for this they thought it would be impossible to come up with it, but it's a good thing Arwin is such a crazy inventor, who never accepts defeat, and whose dictionary doesn't have the word "impossibility" in it, according to him." –London laughed once again. –"Maddie, ma petit chou… my beautiful sparkling diamond… watashi no akachan, I give you Firmware Ram Analog Network, or FRAN for short, our new Artificial Intelligence housekeeper.

As she finished that sentence, the projector activated itself and what happened next was something the blonde was not ready for. A hologram appeared. This one was human, a woman to be more exact. She was tall, brunette, light-skinned and she was wearing a beautiful red and black stripped sweater, a black mini-skirt and red shoes. Looking at it, Maddie felt like she had seen her before, though she could not picture where exactly.

"Why, hello there!" –FRAN exclaimed, waving at both London and Maddie. –"I'm Firmware Ram Analog Network, or FRAN for short, and it's a pleasure to meet you both."

Maddie was speechless. She did not know what to say after seeing and hearing what she did. The look on her face spoke for itself, she was in shock. London, on the other hand, was normal, as if all that had been the most normal thing in the world. As for their dogs, Scampy and Ivanna kept barking uninterrupted, because they did not understand what was going on. London had to calm both down, by petting them, because Maddie was still in shock. The heiress had to shake the blonde a couple of times, as well as call her out to bring her back to reality.

"Maddie! Maddie! Earth to Maddie! Are you still in there?!" –London asked her, as she shook her. –"Houston calling spaceship Fitzpatrick… do you read us?" –London joked about it.

"Uh… w-what did you say?" –Maddie asked, still a little confused about all that.

"Are you alright?" –London asked her.

"I-I'm f-fine." –Maddie assured London. –"It's just that I wasn't really expecting this."

"Oh, I'm sorry if I scared you, Miss Fitzpatrick. I didn't mean to." –FRAN told her. –"Can I offer you a drink, or perhaps smoothie? Miss Tipton says that you love peppermint smoothies." –the AI told her.

"FRAN; I told you already, don't call me Miss Tipton, call me London, and also address to Maddie by her first name." –London ordered her.

"If you insist, Miss T... I mean, London, I shall do that." –FRAN said. –"Anyway, can I offer you something?"

"Well, maybe an explanation to all of this?"

"Let me explain you. I wanted our suite to have a housekeeper, or some kind of guardian if you prefer, and then it hit me, why not having a computer who does everything? And, of course, it would be our secret confident."

"And, what about it looking exactly like Fran Dresher, as well as sharing her first name, huh?" –Maddie asked London.

"Oh, well, it was sort of a coincidence. I didn't knew what the AI was called. I just knew I wanted someone who was always filled with joy and happiness, and well, I happened to remember about the actress… she was incredibly happy to be the model for FRAN." –London explained her. –"Now, I think you both started on the wrong foot, so let's start this from the beginning… Maddie, this is FRAN; FRAN, this is Maddie."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Fitzpatrick, I mean, Maddie." –FRAN giggled. Even her giggle was exactly alike Fran Dresher's giggle. They had really programmed her so well, that if you did not notice that she was a hologram, she would pass for the real actress.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." –Maddie replied.

"FRAN, would you mind shutting off for a little while? Maddie and I need to talk."

"Certainly, London. If you need me, just snap your fingers twice." –FRAN said, as its hologram shut down, leaving the girls once again alone.

"I know this was a bit sudden and I should've told you about it before turning it on, but I wanted to surprise you." –London told Maddie, blinking her eyes a couple of times, while smiling tenderly to the blonde, trying to look as innocent as she could. –"Don't be mad at me." –she pouted with tiny and child-like voice.

Seeing and hearing her girlfriend behaving like that, Maddie looked her seriously in the eyes. Her face was like the times she became upset by something London said her, or by an insult. But the expression on her face soon changed. A silly smile appeared on it, and she burst into laughter.

"How can I… (laugh)… be angry at you… (laugh)… silly?" –Maddie kept laughing. -"I'll never get tired of your surprises, especially when you present them like this."

Saying that, Maddie planted a kiss on London's lips, which London returned, but letting her tongue play with Maddie's, and for the next thirty seconds, there was only the two of them, and the rest of the world did not exist.

"And I'll never get tired of the way you kiss me with those beautiful and delicious lips of yours." –London told her.

"Well, there are more from where those came from." –Maddie smiled to London, giving her an impish look with her eyes.

"But before that, I've got one last surprise for you…" –London said, as she planted a kiss on the blonde's lips. She never got tired of tasting Maddie's lip-gloss. –"Go and take a seat over there. I'll be right back."

Doing what London told her, Maddie took a seat on one of the couches, and waited for the heiress to come back. While waiting she decided to take advantage of the nanotechnology imbedded in the whole suite and decided to change the colour of the couch, as well as the pillows. She changed the colour of the couch to candy-cane red, as for the pillows, they were changed to vanilla-white. Giggling lightly, she decided to rest for a little by lying on her back and closing her eyes for just a second. She heard both Scampy and Ivanna who were now chasing after each other on another division of the suite. With her eyes still closed, she heard London's footsteps getting closer.

Opening her eyes, she saw that London was carrying a book in her hands. Signalling her to lie right next to her, London gently snuggled right next to Maddie and showed her the book she went to get.

"This is the last surprise I have to show you, Maddie… remember that story I was writing with Mark a few months ago? Well, I finally finished it, and I want to read it to you."

"You did? I still remember how good the draft looked like, so the finished version must be something awesome." –Maddie told her.

"Oh, thanks, but I'm not a great writer, Maddie. Mark did most of the writing… I just told him the story and I helped him with a few details." –London told her in a shy voice, being truthful about it.

"Still, you came up with the story, so in a way it's your book." –Maddie said, assuring her that she should take credit for coming up with all that, even if she did not write it. –"You know, a lot of Hollywood directors come up with awesome stories, but they ask help from other people to help him write the script. So, in a way, you wrote it, and I'll be happy to read it with you."

Maddie said the most truthful and cutest things a girl like her could ever say, and London just loved that. Giving her a big hug and a huge kiss, she then handed Maddie the book. Taking her time, she took a good look at the white and black cover, shaped like a yin-yang symbol with golden-trimmed letters. In the cover you could read "_Light and Darkness; a story by London Tipton and Mark Stevenson_".

"Now let's see…" –Maddie began to read the envoy. –"_To my dear sweet Madeline, my beautiful girlfriend, who's also my best-friend and my one true-love_… oh, Princess…" –Maddie could not hold her tears.

"Go on, the envoy is just the icing on the cake." –the heiress told her, as she rested her head on Maddie's right shoulder.

"_Chapter 1: Acceptance… What makes love so beautiful, so unique, so pure, so amazing? Is it the fact that our hearts beat faster when we find the person we know is the one for us? Is it the way a simple smile's able to express what a thousand words combined cannot say? Is it the fact that we have someone who likes us for our qualities, but loves us for our defects? Or is it all of that combined? Sometimes it's hard to know what the answer really is, and for Ashley Terrence and Brenda Mockingbird it was not an easy thing to find out._" –Maddie read out loud, to London's delight. She loved her voice and loved when she began to read for her. –"It's an awesome start, London."

"You really mean it?!" –London asked her. When looking into her eyes, Maddie felt like London's subconscious had been replaced by the subconscious of little girl who eager for approval after showing her mother a drawing she had made just for her.

"Yes, I mean it, sweetie." –Maddie told her.

"Well, go on. I like hearing you read." –London begged her.

"But, what about the party? Shouldn't we get ready?" –the blonde asked her.

"The party will only be at 8 o'clock. We still have lots of time, and I took the liberty of choosing what we'll be wearing for tonight in my head. Besides, it's a lot more important to spend time with you doing something I like to do, than worrying about a silly party. Besides, if I have to choose between attending a party and spending the rest of the day, alone with you, I'll go for the second option." –London told Maddie, as she placed her head over the blonde's chest, hearing her heart beat.

"London… I'm surprised at you! It's not a silly party; it's the welcoming party for everyone on board." –Maddie told her with a serious voice. It was really unusual for London to say that. Almost a year ago, she would have considered a party to be more important than anything else Now, spending time with her was more important than anything else. Maddie saw that as incredibly irresponsible from London's part, but on the other hand, extremely cute. –"Though, it is tempting, especially after so many emotions on the same day, to just stay here, snuggled right next to you, whispering sweet and lovable words." –she ended the sentence with a mushy voice.

"Indeed it is." –London snuggled closer to the blonde. –"Still, we have to go, right?"

"You know we have to." –Maddie answered her.

"This is what I hate about being the daughter of one of the richest men on this planet. I always have to attend events, even when I don't want to." –London sighed. –"Still, I guess since you're going to be by my side the whole time, we can consider this as a date."

"Mmm… okay, a date it is." –Maddie told her, as she opened the book again and began to read where she had stopped. –"_Now, where was I? Oh yes… For these two girls, their love was not an easy thing to find because of how their world and society were shaped. They had been both raised to believe that if they worked hard enough, one day they would find their prince charming and live happily ever after. What they did not know was that their prince would actually be a princess, and that life was everything but easy."_


End file.
